Cyclone death toll increases to 37 in Odisha

The death toll due to cyclone Fani has increased to 37 in Odisha, said an official on Tuesday.

While 21 died in Puri district, where the devastating cyclone made landfall on May 3, five people were killed in Cuttack and four in Mayurbhanj. Besides, four died in Jajpur and three in Kendrapara, said the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office.

Meanwhile, relief and restoration work is going on in full swing in the affected areas. However, the government is yet to restore electricity and telecommunication in Bhubaneswar and Puri even after four days of the cyclone hitting the coast.

A total of 1.48 crore people in 16,647 villages and 51 urban local bodies are affected by the cyclonic storm in 14 districts.

The SRC office said that a total of 40 teams of cutters of the Odisha Forest Development Corp (OFDC) were now engaged in clearing fallen trees in the state capital.

A group of 25 expert cutters from Andhra Pradesh are being brought to be sent to Puri.

Besides, teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and fire service have been engaged in the renovation and restoration work. IANS