On Wednesday, Cyclone Amphan made landfall in eastern India and Bangladesh, killing at least 12 as it lashed coastal areas with fierce wind and rain.
Kolkata: On Wednesday, Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in decades, has killed at least 12 people in West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee said.
The numbers are expected to go up as the rescue teams on the ground report about the situation.
The strong cyclone ravaged thousands of homes, leaving officials grappling to mount relief efforts amid the COVID-19 crisis. Bengal took the brunt of Cyclone Amphan, which barreled into the coast with gusting winds of up to 185 km per hour.
West Bengal CM said the impact of Amphan was worse than the coronavirus pandemic and claimed damages due to the cyclone could be in the region of Rs 1 lakh crore. Over five lakh people had been taken to shelters in Bengal and over one lakh in Odisha.
“Area after area has been ruined,” CM Mamata Banerjee said and Press Trust of India reported
At least two districts – North and South 24 Parganas districts- have been the worst-hit by one of the strongest storms to hit the region in several years.
The Kolkata airport, which remains shut, was left flooded and many structures within damaged.
Most of the city and its neighbouring districts have been without electricity for 17 hours.
Some devastating and scary visuals from the fierce cyclone:
Also Read: India Now Has More Than One Lakh COVID-19 Cases, Over 3,000 Deaths
#Amphan reaches #Kolkatta … Howrah Bridge… #AmphanSuperCyclone pic.twitter.com/td1vOK3BVd
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) May 20, 2020
Super Cyclone Amphan is crossing West Bengal coast between Digha and Hatiya across Sunderban. Watch the Fury of #CycloneAmphan at Kachuberia jetty near Namkhana in South 24 Paraganas district of WestBengal pic.twitter.com/iZdqdk0MHn
— Subodh KS (@KsSubodh) May 20, 2020
Cyclone #Amphan Hit the coastal Area Purba Medinipur District ,Deshapran Block, West Bengal pic.twitter.com/oHIf03stHt
— Arsad Khan (@ErsadullahKhan) May 20, 2020
Kolkata Airport…
How many so called "National Channels" are discussing devastation caused by #Amphan in Bengal?
( Video received from a friend) pic.twitter.com/mh7aMzPzRB— Dwai (@BujMit) May 21, 2020
The shed above the entrance to my building collapsed. Aluminum sheets flying like paper. #Amphan doing a lot of damage and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. pic.twitter.com/ZFa3cMy7SO
— Akshay (@TheAkshayBothra) May 20, 2020
Amphan cyclone effect#amphan pic.twitter.com/TsRWSX6Epv
— Red Fox Tamil (@RedFoxTamil24x7) May 21, 2020
The Telegraph newspaper said Calcutta’s waterlogged roads “looked like a dark and slithering reptile on Wednesday night as howling winds continued to haunt the city’s deserted, Amphan-ravaged corridors”.
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