Hurricane Fani in India: evacuation of one million people on the east coast with the arrival of the cyclone

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of over one million people from the coastal districts of eastern India before the expected arrival of a cyclone with winds. 200 km / hour.

For its part, the Bangladesh government has alerted its army and ordered the evacuation of 19 coastal districts, where more than 4,000 shelters have been opened, according to a rescuer, Mohammad Hashim.

Heavy rains and gusts of wind hit the city of Hyderabad, India, as cyclone Fani approached

The Indian Meteorological Service announced that Hurricane Fani would hit the lands Friday afternoon near the holy city of Puri, India.

Major airports have been closed in Odisha and West Bengal states and almost no trains have flown.

A state administration official said at the AFP Some 780,000 people from at least 13 districts of Odisha State were transferred to shelters at night.

"We hope that more than a million people will leave the region in danger in the next twelve hours," said Bishnupada Sethi, head of rescue operations in Odisha.

Hundreds of thousands have also had to evacuate parts of West Bengal. Authorities have allowed about 1,000 shelters in schools and official agencies with the idea of ​​hosting more than one million people.

Thursday, this cyclone, which According to forecasts, it will be the strongest to hit East India in two decadesit breed in Bay of Bengal, about 250 kilometers from the coast, and was advancing slowly but forcefully to the west.

Forecasts indicate 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 is expected to land near the sacred Hindu city of Puri, an important tourist center that attracts millions of Indian and foreign visitors every year.

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

Authorities have asked tourists to leave the coastal areas and avoid unnecessary travel. Special buses have been deployed to Puri and other cities.

The authorities cross the coast, warning, with a megaphone in hand, that the neighbors are leaving the area.

The Indian Navy is also on alert. And the airport authorities of India have warned all airports of the coast to take the necessary precautions.

"Our men are urging people to move to safer places and the government has opened enough shelters to take care of those who evacuate their homes," said Sethi, chief of rescue at Odisha. "Heavy rains are expected in all coastal districts amid fears of sudden floods, we are all ready to rise to the challenge."

Forecasts speak of "strong to very heavy" rains Friday in some places and "extremely strong" the next day, with areas flooded up to 20 centimeters of water.

The tides could increase by 1.5 meters.

Indian weather services have warned that winds could uproot trees, damage crops, homes, and electrical and communication infrastructure. The neighboring coastal states of Andhra Pradesh (50 million inhabitants) and Tamil Nadu (70 years old) have been put on alert.

Fani will be the fourth such storm to hit India's east coast in three decades. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi killed nearly 250 people and left more than 600 missing in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The worst cyclone recorded in the state of Odisha (east) in 1999 killed nearly 10,000 people and caused enormous damage.

Odisha had to evacuate about 300,000 people in October, when its coastal districts were hit by Cyclone Titli, with winds reaching 150 km / h and heavy rains. At least two people died.