Million people evacuated for the passing of cyclone Fani in India

More than a million people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of the Indian eastern state of Odisha for the passage of cyclone Fani. It landed today, with wind speeds of 160 to 180 kilometers per hour.

The cyclone first reached the popular tourist destination Puri and will rage across the region in three to four hours, said Odisha’s emergency aid coordinator – Bishnupada Sethi.

Wind speeds

The storm is expected to weaken at wind speeds of up to 160 and 180 kilometers per hour and to turn east towards West Bengal and Bangladesh. The authorities advise people to stay indoors.

At least 147 trains that run along the coast of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha have been canceled and air traffic has also been stopped for 24 hours. The local government evacuated more than 1.2 million people living in vulnerable areas, including 1,000 pregnant women. They were taken to hospitals.