Cyclone Titli, floods claim 12 lives in Odisha; heavy to very heavy rainfall alert in West Bengal

At least 12 people, including three children, who had taken shelter in a cave to escape cyclone Titli, have been killed in Gajapati district of Odisha. As per the reports, 22 tribals of Baraghara village in Gajapati district had taken shelter in a cave after gusty winds damaged the roof of their hut.

So far, at least 21 people have died in the state due to floods triggered by the incessant downpour in the aftermath of the “very severe” cyclonic storm. Nine districts of Odisha, including Kandhamal, Gajapati, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Khordha, Puri, Boudh, Dhenkanal, and Jagatsinghpur, have received more than 100 mm rainfall in the wake of cyclone Titli.

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Meanwhile, Cyclone Titli weakened into a deep depression and entered West Bengal on Friday, triggering incessant rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gangetic West Bengal over the next 24 hours.

“The deep depression is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rain in North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman, Howrah and Hooghly districts,” the IMD said.

The weatherman also issued heavy rains warning for Kolkata, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur districts till Saturday.

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Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea along and off the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha, deep sea areas of North and Central Bay of Bengal till Saturday.