Storm kills two in West Bengal; Odisha, others evacuate lakhs

A civic worker cuts tree branches after a few trees uprooted due to strong wind induced by Cyclone Yaas in Kolkata on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

Two people were electrocuted to death and around 80 houses partly damaged after a storm, which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described as a "tornado", hit Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts on Tuesday.

A flooded house after heavy rains owing to the cyclone, in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday. Pic/AFP

The Indian Army has deployed 17 integrated relief columns, comprising specialised personnel with necessary equipment and inflatable boats, in West Bengal to undertake casualty evacuation of stranded or marooned persons, medical treatment, road clearing or tree cutting, and distribution of relief material, as would be required by the local district administration.

The natural event struck hours before cyclone ‘Yaas' makes landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha's Bhadrak district early on Wednesday, in the wake of which the Bengal government has evacuated over nine lakh people to safe shelters.

Odisha has evacuated 2 lakh locals to safety. IMD Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone's impact will be severe for six hours before and after the landfall and Chandbali in Odisha will witness the maximum damage.

Jharkhand was also on high alert and has evacuated people from vulnerable areas in East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and other districts bordering West Bengal and Odisha to safer places while the operation is going on to deal with the crisis, a top official said.

Chief Secretary S C Gupta on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of different departments for the severe cyclonic storm Yaas, which is likely to impact Sikkim among other states over the next 24 to 48 hours, an official said.

10 lakh
No. of people evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha

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