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Phailin leaves trail of destruction (Agencies) / 14 October 2013 Massive evacuation of one million people reduces number of casualties; cyclone death toll in Odisha 15. Daybreak revealed a trail of destruction across coastal areas of eastern India on Sunday after the strongest storm to hit the country in 14 years, but the loss of life appeared limited as more than half a million people had taken cover in shelters. “Damage to property is extensive,” said Amitabh Thakur, the top police officer in Odisha’s Ganjam district worst-hit by the cyclone. “But few lives have been lost,” he said, crediting the mass evacuations. Cyclone Phailin packed winds of more than 200 kmph as it made landfall from the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, tearing apart dwellings and uprooting trees, but it lost momentum as it headed inland and was expected to dissipate with about 36 hours. The government of the state of Odisha said the death toll stood at 15. Eight bodies were on Sunday found from Ganjam district, the worst-hit from Phailin in Odisha. Police said two bodies each were found in Berhampur town, Purosottampur, Ganjam town and Rangelilunda areas. Besides, a large number of people have been injured in Ganjam district. Seven people were killed on Sunday due to heavy rains and high-velocity winds in Odisha before the cyclone made landfall last night, including two at Polasara and Khalikote areas of Ganjam district. The cyclone was one of three major storms over Asia on Sunday. The smaller Typhoon Nari was approaching Vietnam and Typhoon Wipha loomed over the Pacific. At least 550,000 people in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh spent the night in shelters, some of which were built after a storm killed 10,000 in the same area in 1999. Others took refuge in schools or temples, in what the National Disaster Management Authority called one of India’s largest evacuations. Truck driver Jayaram Yadav, who had been transporting eight cars halfway across India, huddled in the cab of his 28-tonne vehicle as wind howled around him on Saturday night.  “I was just thinking: it’s going to topple over — and then it did,” said Yadav, who survived unscathed as his cargo of vehicles was scattered across a coastal highway. Television images showed cars flipped on their sides and debris-strewn streets in the silk-producing city of Brahmapur, one of the hardest hit areas. A few trucks and motorbikes returned to city streets as residents emerged to survey the damage. Winds slowed to 90 km per hour early on Sunday and the rain eased. But large swathes of Odisha, including its capital, Bhubaneshwar, were without electricity for a second day after the storm pulled down power cables. Officials said it was too early to give an accurate damage assessment. Soldiers and rescue workers in helicopters, boats and trucks fanned out across the two states. Airlines changed flight paths on the route between Mumbai and Bangkok, and between Bangkok and the Middle East, the Business Standard reported yesterday, citing an air traffic controller it didn’t identify. Indigo, India’s biggest domestic carrier by market share, canceled some flights to and from Bhubaneshwar in Odisha, the company’s external communications agency said in an e-mailed response to questions yesterday. Ragini Chopra, a spokeswoman for Jet Airways (India) Ltd., didn’t respond to an e-mail. All train services between Howrah and Visakhapatnam remained cancelled on Sunday for the second day in view of cyclone Phailin which hit Odisha coast Saturday night. East Coast Railway and South Central Railway have cancelled more than 70 train services, including express and passenger trains, due to the damage to railway tracks in coastal Odisha and also in parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh. All trains between Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Puri were cancelled. An official of East Coast Railways said all trains originating and terminating at Bhubaneswar and Puri stood cancelled. Many long distance trains from Chennai and Mumbai heading towards Howrah were either cancelled or diverted. Major trains which have been cancelled include Bhubaneswar-Tirupati, Puri-Tirupati, Bhubaneswar-Secunderabad, Tirupati-Bilaspur, Bhubaneswar-Mumbai and Tirupati-Bhubaneswar express trains. The authorities have also cancelled Vijayawada-Raigadh, Machilipatnam-Visakha, Vijayawada-Visakha and Kakinada-Visakha passenger trains. In Mogadhalupadu, a fishing village in Andhra Pradesh, where some people had refused to leave their boats and nets, the damage was less than feared. Seawater surged into huts made from coconut palms near the beach.  “People have come back to the village now,” said village chief Jagdesh Dasari, saying winds that gusted through the night had dropped off and the rain was light. Phailin caused widespread damage to infrastructure and crops in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and claimed one life. People in north coastal Andhra heaved a sigh of relief with the cyclone turning weak and the intensity of rains and winds also coming down since Sunday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has withdrawn its cyclone warning for Andhra Pradesh. Srikakulam district remained without electricity on Sunday as a number of electricity towers were toppled by the strong winds. Communication towers were also damaged in large numbers while fallen trees on the roads cut off access to many towns and villages. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the national highway connecting Srikakulam to Odisha. The commissioner said electricity supply in Srikakulam district would be restored in two days. Coconut trees standing on hundreds of acres of land were uprooted while other crops were also damaged. Officials said enumeration of damage to houses, crops, roads and railway tracks was on. The district authorities, however, remained on alert against floods due to heavy rains in the catchment areas of Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers. The Met Office has forecast more rainfall during the next 24 hours. Continue reading →