'Fani': 16 dead, restoration starts in 10,000 wrecked villages of Odisha

Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Cyclone Fani did not cause much havoc in the state except for damaging a few huts. The severe cyclonic storm weakened on May 4 morning and headed towards neighbouring Bangladesh.

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 5 May 2019 4:23 AM GMT
Fani: 16 dead, restoration starts in 10,000 wrecked villages of Odisha
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Cyclone 'Fani': 16 dead, restoration starts in 10,000 wrecked villages of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Death toll by the cyclonic storm 'Fani' rose to 16 in Odisha, while the destruction left by the storm that pounded coastal parts of the state, affecting nearly one crore people, made government to launch massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas.

The toll due to Cyclone Fani, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 16 yesterday -- four deaths in Mayurbhanj district, 3 each in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Jajpur; and 1 each in Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Kendrapara, officials said.

ALSO READ: Cyclone Fani moving towards Bangladesh, no major impact in Bengal

The Indian Air Force on Saturday sent three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to Bhubaneswar from Hindan Air Base for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, an IAF spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Cyclone Fani did not cause much havoc in the state except for damaging a few huts. The severe cyclonic storm weakened on May 4 morning and headed towards neighbouring Bangladesh.

While flight operations resumed at the Kolkata airport at 9.57 am, train services on the Sealdah and Howrah sections are also getting back to normal.

The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) resumed its routine operation on May 4 morning at both Haldia and Kolkata docks.

ALSO READ: UN agency praises India on minimising loss of life from Cyclone Fani

The very severe cyclonic storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Odisha coast, before moving further north-northeastwards and entering West Bengal through Kharagpur in West Midnapore around 12.30 am on Saturday.

“It has moved to Arambagh in Hooghly and is now in Nadia district…and is moving towards Murshidabad district,” Bandyopadhyay said.

A senior official said apart from a few mud houses collapsing and tress falling, there were no reports of casualties from any of the districts. “However, we are awaiting further details,” he added.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, along with senior engineers of the civic body and local councillors, was on a night-long vigil in and around the city to keep a tab on the situation.

“We had made arrangements to act on an emergency basis had Fani hit the city. But thank god nothing major has happened,” Hakim told media.

ALSO READ: As West Bengal gears up for Fani’s landfall, PM speaks to governor

Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

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