It hit the Indian State of West Bengal and the coastal districts of Bangladesh. Thousands have lost their homes. Damage to roads, transport lines and infrastructure. Some areas are still cut off from rescuers.

Calcutta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – At least 200 dead and one million homeless.  That is the initial toll from the passage of cyclone Aila Monday along the Indian state of West Bengal and the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

New Delhi confirms at least 68 victims.  The number is far higher in Bangladesh so far the certified body count is 130. However the toll is destined to rise, while both nations wait for the cyclone to subside in order to come to the aid of the populations.

In India more than 41,000 people, who have lost their homes, have been put up in 109 relief camps. 61,000 houses have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands partially damaged. Some areas have been totally cut off such as Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas. The cyclone has damaged to roads, transport lines and infrastructure and disrupted the road to Calcutta airport.

Officials in Bangladesh moved about 500,000 people to temporary shelters after they fled their homes to escape huge tidal waves churned by winds of up to 120kph. A disaster control official in Dhaka, confirms “millions of people have been affected by the cyclone, with half a million in shelters and another half a million forced from their homes or marooned”.

 

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