Bhubaneswar/Odisha:- At least six people were killed and electricity supply remained disrupted across several areas along India's eastern coast on Thursday, a day after Cyclone 'Arnab' triggered heavy rainfall and strong winds, causing widespread destruction. Media reports, quoting local officials, put the death toll at nine, with fatalities attributed to electrocution and the collapse of trees and houses.
An Andhra Pradesh state government official said the official death toll stood at six. Classified as an extremely severe cyclonic storm by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the third-highest category on its scale, Cyclone 'Arnab' made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday.
According to a statement quoting state Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, at least 15,000 electricity poles were damaged by the cyclone. The statement said that power supply had been restored in all districts except Konaseema and West Godavari.
Naidu said technological advancements had enabled the government to identify the areas likely to be worst affected and minimise the loss of life and property. Officials said a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel carrying 20 crew members, which had been stranded off the Andhra Pradesh coast, remained stuck at sea on Thursday due to high waves.
Before the cyclone made landfall, more than 180,000 people were evacuated to safer locations in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Some schools were closed, while certain train and flight services were cancelled. Arnab had developed over the Bay of Bengal, a major breeding ground for cyclonic storms that have triggered severe weather events along India's eastern coast.
