Cyclone Fani: Odisha looking to rebuild itself after massive destruction, death toll now 38 

A view of the Puri railway station after being hit by Cyclone Fani.

New Delhi: Two days after Cyclone Fani ravaged coastal Odisha causing widespread destruction, the state, on Sunday, revised its death count upward to 38, of which 25 were registered in the pilgrimage town of Puri, where the storm made landfall on May 3, flattening fragile houses, and uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers.

According to government sources, more than ₹1,200 crore worth of power infrastructure is destroyed and more than a crore people living in 14,835 villages and 46 towns across the state are affected by Fani.

With all the telecommunication channels down in Puri, over 35 lakh people, mainly in Puri and Khurda districts, continue to remain in darkness for the third straight day with the state government hoping to restore power to vital installations, such as Capital Hospital and the Biju Patnaik International Airport, in Bhubaneswar by Monday morning.

Brajabandhu Dash, superintendent of Puri District Hospital said most of the people were killed either due to roof or wall collapse or by falling branches. The hospital authorities also claimed to have treated around 300 injured.

Puri district collector Jyotiprakash Das said, “Rescue personnel are working round-the-clock to establish road connectivity for around five lakh people in these villages to ensure smooth relief operation.”

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, on Sunday, announced a relief package and to provide ₹95,100 aid for families whose houses have been completely damaged.

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