Cyclone Arnab kills three and displaces 180,000 in India
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE and France 24
Cyclone Arnab killed at least three people and led to the evacuation of more than 180,000 after hitting India’s eastern coast, where homes, trees and electricity networks were damaged, according to TimesLIVE. France 24 reported winds of 125 km/h, localised flood risks and weather alerts in Sri Lanka and Nepal, while TimesLIVE mentioned gusts of up to 150 km/h.
Cyclone Arnab made landfall on Wednesday on India’s eastern coast, killing at least three people and prompting the evacuation of more than 180,000 people in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, according to Narendra Singh Bundela, an NDRF official, and local authorities quoted by TimesLIVE.
Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm by India’s meteorological service, Arnab destroyed at least 180 homes and uprooted 220 trees, while electricity was disrupted in several areas, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said, according to TimesLIVE. Two deaths were attributed to a falling tree and electrocution.
Schools were closed, several trains and flights cancelled, and operations suspended at three airports in Andhra Pradesh. Authorities advised fishermen not to go out to sea, as gusts of up to 150 km/h threatened precarious homes, crops and communications networks, according to TimesLIVE.
France 24, for its part, reported winds reaching 125 km/h and warnings of localised flooding as well as the uprooting of electricity and telecommunications poles. Sri Lanka and Nepal also issued weather alerts, France 24 reports. Winds were expected to weaken as the cyclone moved inland, according to TimesLIVE.
