Cyclone Fani claims 8 lives in Odisha, barrels towards West Bengal

The cyclone is said to be the worst to hit India since 2014. The Ministry of Home Affairs has operationalised ‘1938’ as the helpline number for cyclone Fani. The Railways has listed numbers (1800-3457401, 1800-3457402) for the public.

Read | Cyclone Fani: List of trains cancelled in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal

Here’s what happened throughout the day since the cyclone made its landfall:

The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone. (Reuters)

Eight people killed

Eight people were killed in Odisha due to the cyclone. According to the government, nearly 160 people were reported injured, with extensive damage to kuchha houses, old buildings and temporary shops, news agency ANI reported. While a teenage boy was killed when a tree collapsed on him in Puri, flying debris from a concrete structure left a woman dead in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district.

Read | Cyclone Fani: EC lifts MCC from 11 coastal districts of Odisha

NDRF DIG Randeep Rana said not many casualties were reported since precautionary measures were already undertaken. The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations.

A view of the destruction caused by Cyclone Fani after its landfall, in Puri. (PTI)

North-east braces for cyclone Fani

The Meghalaya government has sought deployment of a team of NDRF in the state in the wake of the cyclone. A team of 25-30 personnel has been sought from Guwahati. The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states, including Meghalaya. The officials of all the 11 districts have been asked to be on alert, the minister said, adding, all officers, including those posted in various blocks, have been asked not to leave their places of posting. The State Disaster Relief Force and the Fire Services have been kept on standby. The Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been kept on standby.

Read | Cyclone Fani: Kolkata airport to remain shut from 3 pm, CM Banerjee cancels rallies for 48 hours

Telecom department reviews network services of companies

The telecom department Friday reviewed services of four operators, namely Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio, and state-owned BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) in the areas affected by the cyclone. While services in Andhra Pradesh is expected to be fully functional by Saturday morning, the restoration work has already started in Odisha’s Puri and Bhubaneswar, as they suffered extensive network damage. The sources also said that the facility for free SMS has already been activated, and free interconnect between Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has been facilitated to ensure calls can be made on whichever network is available.

The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states. (Reuters)

Cyclone Fani to change Nepal’s weather, bring heavy snowfall in Himalayas

The India Meteorological Department Friday said that the cyclone is all set to alter the weather conditions in Nepal and bring heavy rainfall and snowfall in the Himalayan region. The cyclone, however, will not make its way to Nepal, but light to moderate rainfall coupled with lightning and windstorm will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions on Friday and Saturday. The Meteorological Forecasting Department (MFD) warned of rough and extreme weather conditions. “The cyclone is not likely to make its way to Nepal. However, lightning and showers will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions,” a statement issued by the MFD said. The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has urged tourists around the Himalayas region to not venture outside.

Odisha was put on high alert with several teams of the Indian Army, Navy, Coast Guard, National Disaster Rapid Force (NDRF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on standby for rescue and relief operations. (PTI)

East Coast Railways cancels 103 trains

The East Coast Railways (ECoR) Friday issued a statement saying as many as 103 trains stand cancelled in the wake of the cyclone. The trains which have been cancelled include the Bhubaneshwar-Bangiriposi Express (12891), RajyaRani Express from Rourkela to Kamakhya (18117), Secunderabad-Kamakhya Express (07149) and special train from Santragachhi to Chennai (02841). The New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, New Delhi-Puri Nandan Kanan Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express and the New Delhi-Puri Purushottam Express which were scheduled to run today has been cancelled as well. The railways have also diverted several trains running on the south route.

Read | Modi, Mamata rallies cancelled; how cyclone Fani is affecting other states on east coast

Kolkata airport shut

Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport suspended the operations of flights from 3 pm Friday to 8 am on Saturday because of the cyclone, Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Earlier, the airport was supposed to remain shut from 9.30 pm today to 6 pm Saturday. A senior government official told PTI that the timings regarding the shutdown of flight operations at Kolkata airport were revised after observing the progress of Cyclone Fani. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu directed all airlines to immediately respond to concerns of stranded passengers. On Thursday, the airlines announced to waive off cancellation/rescheduling charges of affected customers.

On Thursday, the airlines announced to waive off cancellation/rescheduling charges of affected customers. (PTI)

EC withdraws MCC; PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee cancel rallies

The Election Commission withdrew the Model Code of Conduct from four districts of Andhra Pradesh and 11 coastal districts of Odisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled their public rallies in the wake of the cyclone. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a tweet informed that she is cancelling all her rallies in the next 48 hours and that the state is monitoring the situation 24X7. “Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster #CyclonicStormFANI We are monitoring the situation 24×7 and doing all it takes. I appeal to all people to cooperate. Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days,” she tweeted. PM Modi, who was to campaign in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa college grounds on May 5, cancelled his rally.

Read | ‘Baby Fani’ born in Odisha railway hospital as cyclone slams coast

AIIMS PG 2019 exam cancelled in Bhubaneswar

The AIIMS PG 2019 examination, scheduled to be conducted on May 5, has been cancelled for the candidates having centres in Bhubaneswar. The Ministry of Health in a tweet mentioned that the AIIMS PG examination for centres in Bhubaneswar has been cancelled due to extensive damage caused in the city due to Fani cyclone. “AIIMS PG exam was scheduled on 5th May. Due to Fani Cyclone, there has been extensive damage in Bhubaneswar, affecting road, rail and air connectivity. As a result, AIIMS New Delhi is cancelling the exam centre in Bhubaneswar,” the ministry’s tweet read.