26 persons died due to cyclone, flood in Odisha: SRC

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday confirmed that 26 persons died in the very severe cyclonic storm Titli and subsequent flood in the state.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said that of the 26 deaths, the highest number of the casualty of 18 persons has been reported from Gajapati district.

While three died from Ganjam, one each from Angul, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Kandhamal districts, said the SRC.

“So far 26 casualties have so far been reported from the various district in the State. Of the 26, 18 deaths have been confirmed from Gajapati district (15 in Baraghara village, 2 in Labanyagarh village and 1 in Allada village),” he added.

“Apart from the death of 18 people in the landslide in Mahendragiri hill in Gajapati district, four persons died after they were swept away in the floodwaters of a river. Besides, six persons died in indifferent incidents of wall collapse while one person died after a tree fell on him,” said the SRC.

He said the police and the local magistrate are investigating the death of others persons as reported in the media.

Sethi said about 57 lakh people of 144 blocks in 16 districts have been affected due to cyclone and flood.

On damages, Sethi said 950 kms of roads in 35 blocks of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Kandhamal have severely been damaged. Around Rs 12 crore will be spent for the restoration of the roads.

Besides, there has been extensive damage to 151 roads of about 900 km in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts while 1.48 lakh hectares of paddy crops in these districts have been completely destroyed.