Cyclone Fani highlights: Vice Admiral Karambir Singh visits INS Chilka naval base to review situation

Cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, uprooted trees and triggered rains as it entered West Bengal post midnight on Saturday, hours after making landfall and causing havoc in Odisha on Friday. No loss of life or any injury has been reported so far.Also Read | Cyclone Fani moves into Bengal; no major damage reported yetAccording to the Meteorological department, the extremely severe cyclonic storm relatively weakened after entering coastal Odisha and transformed into “very severe” as it approached Bengal.Follow updates here:

10:56 pm IST

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik undertakes aerial survey of damage done by Fani

“People in cyclone shelters will be provided cooked food for next 15 days. Electricity and drinking water is being arranged on war footing so that they too are supplied to people soon. Condition is bad. PM spoke to me yesterday.Working very hard to restore communication too,” said chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik. The chief minister undertook an aerial survey of the damage done by the cyclonic storm. :ANI

8:42 pm IST

Three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft sent to Bhubaneswar for humanitarian aid, disaster relief

Indian Air Force sent 3 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to Bhubaneswar from Hindan Air Base for humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The aircraft are carrying approximate 45 tonnes of relief material including medicines for the locations affected by Cyclone Fani. :ANI

8:05 pm IST

Visuals from Tarikund after Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha

Visuals from Odisha’s Tarikund in Jagatsinghpur after Cyclone Fani made landfall in the state yesterday. :ANI

 

6:50 pm IST

Vice Admiral Karambir Singh visits INS Chilka naval base in Odisha to review situation

Navy Chief-designate Vice Admiral Karambir Singh today visited INS Chilka naval base in Odisha to review the situation after Cyclone Fani. :ANI

 

6:05 pm IST

PM Modi calls up Bengal governor, seeks report on damaged caused by Fani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Bengal governor and sought a report on the damage done by Cyclone Fani.The Governor visited some affected areas.Trinamool is fuming. :ANI

5:45 pm IST

Indian Coast Guards carry out relief operation in Odisha’s Paradip

In Odisha, Indian Coast Guard’s Disaster Relief Team and Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) carry out relief operations at Birdih village, near Paradip. (Pic source:Indian Coast Guard) :ANI

 

5:15 pm IST

UN lauds India’s preparation for Cyclone Fani: BJP

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has praised India for its efforts that resulted in minimising the possibility of a loss of life and conducting a well-targeted evacuation plan of millions of people. :BJP

 

4:55 pm IST

‘Widespread rainfall across north eastern states expected on May 4’: IMD

“MeT analysis and numerical model guidance suggests widespread rainfall activity across north eastern states on May 4. Fairly widespread rainfall activity over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura is expected. Widespread rainfall activity over Arunachal Pradesh on May 5 and reduction thereafter is expected. :IMD

 

4:30 pm IST

AAI cancels over 80 flights in north east region

Airports Authority of India, North Eastern Regional Headquarters has cancelled 59 flights in Guwahati, 8 in Agartala, 2 in Dimapur, 2 in Lilabari, 4 in Dibrugarh and 6 in Imphal. :ANI

4:15 pm IST

65 NDRF rescue and relief teams positioned in vulnerable states

65 NDRF rescue and relief teams are pre-positioned in various parts of the vulnerable states. In Odisha, 44 teams have been positioned. West Bengal has 9 teams; Andhra Pradesh 3 teams; Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya have 1 team each, and Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have 2 teams each.

2:21 pm IST

Cyclone ‘Fani’ no more a threat to West Bengal: Met official

Cyclone ‘Fani’, which ravaged most parts of Odisha and left 12 people dead, poses no threat to West Bengal anymore, as it weakens further before entering neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official said on Saturday.

As per forecast, there will be moderate to light rainfall, particularly in the districts adjacent to Bangladesh, but the weather condition in and around the city will normalise through the course of the day, Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here, Sanjib Bandyopadhyay told PTI.

“There is absolutely no threat from this system (cyclone Fani) to West Bengal. The very severe cyclonic storm had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over Odisha coast before entering West Bengal,” he said.

12:34 pm IST

Air India announces additional flight for passengers stranded due to cyclone Fani

Air India has announced an additional flight for passengers stranded due to cyclone Fani.The flights are Delhi-Bhuvneshwar at 1500hrs and Bhubaneswar-Delhi at 1745hrs.

10:01 am IST

PM to visit Fani-hit Odisha on Monday

“Day after tomorrow, on the 6th morning, I will be going to Odisha to take stock of the situation arising in the wake of Cyclone Fani,” tweeted PM Modi.

9:57 am IST

Air India waives charges for carrying relief material for cyclone Fani victims

National carrier Air India on Saturday waived charges for carrying relief materials to victims of cyclone ‘Fani’ on its flights from Delhi to Odisha.

Cyclone Fani hit Odisha’s bordering state West Bengal by crossing Kharagpur. It is expected to continue further in North-East direction with the wind speed of 90 km/hour, said India Meteorological Department.

“If any (NGO/ Civil society/ SHG etc) wants to send relief materials to a cyclone-affected area of Orissa, Air India would ship it free of cost. Concern NGO/ Civil Society/ SHG etc may contact Resident Commissioner office of Orissa at Delhi to send the relief materials to Cyclone affected area of Orissa free of cost by Air India,” the organisation stated in its press release.

9:44 am IST

Air India to re commence operations at Kolkata airport at 09.45 am

Air India will be re commencing operations at Kolkata airport at 09.45 am, said the airlines. Kolkata airport resumed operations from 8am on Saturday after remaining closed for 17 hours.