Cyclone Amphan claims 20 lives in India

New Delhi/Kolkata  The death toll in cyclone Amphan’s devastation in Bengal rose to 20 on Thursday with reports of eight more deaths from different parts of the state.

According to sources, while reports of five deaths came from Kolkata, three more died in separate districts.

With a peak wind speed of 165 kmph and along with torrential rain, the cyclone battered the Sundarbans region and six south Bengal districts on Wednesday evening.

No loss of life was reported in Odisha, which along with Bengal had carried out a massive evacuation exercise.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources said proper evacuation helped limit casualties.

While Bengal had moved over five lakh people, Odisha had evacuated 1.6 lakh to safer places over three days.
IMD sources claimed that perfect prediction made Odisha’s evacuation operations a success.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it would take a few days to assess the extent of the damage and destruction.

The Chief Minister, terming the destruction as ” untold devastation,” also appealed to the Centre to view the calamity in a ‘human way” and not politically.

(Agencies)