A powerful storm hit India's east coast on Wednesday, flattening houses, uprooting trees and electric poles, breaking down sea embankments, and flooding large tracts of land.
Cyclone Yaas, classified as "a very severe cyclonic storm" by India'sMeteorological Department (IMD), began landfall along the coast of eastern Odisha state at around 9 am (0330 GMT) with wind speeds of 130to 140 kilometres per hour gusting up to 155. The storm also brought sea surges and torrential rainfall.
The entire process of landfall was expected to be completed by afternoon, Odisha's disaster management chief Pradeep Kumar Jena said. Neighbouring West Bengal was also on high alert, and nearly 2 million people have been evacuated from habitations in low-lying areas along the coast in the two states. Local television channels showed fallen trees blocking roads and people wading through flooded areas amid gusty winds.
Large numbers of villages along the coast are completely inundated, Jena said. "The extent of damage will also be clear only after the storm passes," Jena said. "So far we have received reports of only injuries."
All airports in the region, including in West Bengal's capital Kolkata and Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar, are closed. At least 40long-distance trains have been canceled.
Cyclone Yaas follows on the heels of another powerful Cyclone Tauktaethat hit India's west coast a week ago, claiming over 150 lives. The storms have come at a time when India is seeing a second deadly wave of the coronavirus, making rescue and rehabilitation a challenge.
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