By Sruthi Gottipati and Jatindra Dash

ICHAPURAM/BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - A fierce cyclone tore into India's coast, killing at least five people, forcing half a million into shelters and threatening to devastate farmland and fishing hamlets.

Cyclone Phailin was expected to remain a "very severe cyclonic storm", packing winds of up to 210 kph (130 mph), into Sunday before steadily weakening as it moves inland in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

The storm snapped trees and electricity poles and smashed windows in Brahmapur, a town in the area where it hit land on Saturday evening.

Rescue workers and soldiers spread out across the region in helicopters and trucks and the full extent of destruction was only expected to become clear after daybreak on Sunday.

Some 12 million people were in the path of Phailin, weather and disaster management officials said. [More]





Source: Fierce Cyclone Rips into India; 550,000 Flee to Shelters


David Cottle

UBB Owner & Administrator