Rescuers also plan to distribute food, vaccines and polyethylene sheets to cyclone victims. More than 100,000 houses have been damaged and 50,000 people evacuated from nine coastal villages. The rescue operation is beginning But rescue efforts are being hampered by continuing bad weather.
All telephone communications are down and road, rail and air links have also been cut.
So far, only two deaths have been confirmed but that number is expected to rise rapidly. The storm sweeps up eastern India Many towns and villages have not been able to report casualty figures or damage assessments because of downed telephone lines. At least 200 fisherman have been reported missing, and 4,000 others are believed to be stranded at sea. United News of India reported that the West Bengal state government had decided to evacuate nearly 200,000 people from islands in the Bay of Bengal. A similar storm hit the area less than two weeks ago, killing more than 150 people and affecting nearly 500,000 others.