India: Nearly one million people evacuated as a result of a cyclone

According to the authorities, it will be the most powerful country in East India for two decades. Winds of 200 km / h and heavy rains are expected.

About 800,000 people have been evacuated in the coastal districts of eastern India before the expected arrival of Cyclone Fani with winds of 200 km / h, local authorities said Thursday. The hurricane will reach the lands Friday afternoon near the holy city of Puri, in Hinduism.

A state administration official said some 780,000 people from at least 13 districts of Odisha state had been driven into shelters overnight. Authorities have allowed about 1,000 shelters in schools and official agencies with the idea of ​​hosting more than one million people.

On Thursday, the cyclone, which is expected to be the strongest in East India in two decades, was preparing in the Bay of Bengal, some 250 kilometers from the coast, and was slowly but forcefully moving westward. .

Forecasts suggest that the cyclone will be accompanied by sustained winds of 180-190 km / h, with gusts of up to 200 km / h, equivalent in strength to a Category 3 to 4 hurricane.

It should land near the sacred city of Puri, an important tourist center that attracts millions of visitors every year.

According to a statement from the Indian Railways, more than 100 trains have been canceled in the last 48 hours. Three special trains left Puri to evacuate pilgrims and tourists.

Authorities have asked tourists to leave the coastal areas and avoid unnecessary travel.

Source: TN

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