Over 1Million Evacuated as Cyclone Approaches Eastern India

AFP/APP

Kolkata: More than 1.1 million residents of India’s eastern coast are being evacuated to storm shelters as Cyclone Dana nears landfall, expected to hit West Bengal and Odisha states late Thursday, authorities announced.

India’s weather bureau has forecast that the cyclone will strike as a “severe cyclonic storm,” with winds gusting up to 120 kilometers per hour (74 miles per hour).

Coastal areas are bracing for potential devastation, with major airports, including Kolkata’s key travel hub, shutting down as heavy rains already batter the region.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall early Friday near the port of Dhamra, located around 230 kilometers southwest of Kolkata. Officials are also preparing for impacts in neighboring Bangladesh, where the interim government has initiated “extensive preparations,” according to leader Muhammad Yunus.

Coastal regions could face a storm surge of up to two meters (6.5 feet) above normal tide levels, raising concerns of widespread flooding.

Odisha state health minister Mukesh Mahaling confirmed that nearly a million people are being evacuated to cyclone centers, while in West Bengal, government minister Bankim Chandra Hazra reported that over 100,000 people have already been relocated to safer areas.