Death toll from cyclone in India, Bangladesh rises to 77
The death toll from a major cyclone that hit eastern India and Bangladesh in early May rose to 77 on Monday as anger grew over millions of people still without power and water.
Cyclone Fani, the first summer cyclone to hit India’s Bay of Bengal coast in 43 years, made landfall in Odisha state on May 3 packing winds up to 200 kilometers per hour.
The winds damaged half a million houses, uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees and knocked out power, telecommunications and water for millions of people in one of India’s poorest states.
The Indian death toll, which earlier stood at 41, shot up with fresh casualties reported from Puri and Khurda districts on Sunday. Thirteen people also perished in Bangladesh after Fani barreled northwards.