Cyclone Fani: 223 trains cancelled till Saturday

As a precaution against cyclone 'Fani', the Indian Railway has cancelled 223 trains in the Bhadrak-Vizianagaram section, along the coastal lines of Odisha on the Kolkata-Chennai route till May 4, officials said.

A senior Railway Ministry official told IANS: "140 Mail and Express trains and 83 passenger trains have been cancelled till May 4 afternoon on the Bhadrak-Vizianagaram section (along Odisha coastline) of Kolkata-Chennai route."

He said that nine trains have been diverted and four trains have been short terminated.

Earlier in the day, extremely severe cyclone storm cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha coast near Puri on Friday morning, triggered heavy rains in parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, while gusty winds uprooted trees and electricity poles. IANS