BHUBANESWAR/KOLKATA: Severe cyclonic storm Dana struck the eastern coast early Friday, triggering torrential rain and high-speed winds uprooting trees and electric poles and caused significant damage to infrastructure and crops in some districts of Odisha and West Bengal.
While Odisha claimed that it achieved its 'zero casualty mission,' one death was reported from Bengal.
As Cyclone Dana weakened into a deep depression and moved westward, authorities launched extensive relief and rehabilitation efforts on a war-footing in the affected regions.
In both Odisha and West Bengal, flights, railways and buses swiftly resumed operations soon after the storm passed as authorities worked to assess and clear any disruptions caused by the cyclone, which made landfall between Dhamra and Bhitarkanika past midnight.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday claimed that the state has achieved its "zero casualty mission" as there has been no report regarding any loss of human life or injury in the severe cyclonic storm.
Majhi, who reviewed the cyclone situation here in the morning, announced that there has been no human casualty in the cyclone. "There is no report of any death of any human life. Our zero casualty mission has been successful with the cooperation of everyone," he said.
However, officials said that an elderly woman had died at a cyclone shelter in Odisha's Kendrapara district on Friday.
The 82-year-old woman identified as Hemalata Nayak of Bankual village died on Thursday night of suspected cardiac arrest at a cyclone shelter set up at Kalyan Mandap Dangamal under Dangamal gram panchayat under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district, they said.
The woman was shifted to the cyclone shelter earlier on Thursday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that two persons died in the state.
One person died in Patharpratima block of South 24 Parganas district and another in Kolkata's Bhowanipore area.
"One person died at his residence while conducting some cable-related work. It is quite unfortunate. The post-mortem examination will give us a clear picture. If required, we (state government) will help the family," Banerjee said.
The victim hailed from Pathrapratima block in South 24 Parganas district.
Another person, in his early twenties, died in Kolkata after being electrocuted, police said.
The victim, identified as Sourav Gupta (24), was a resident of Justice Dwarakanath Road in Bhowanipore and a 'bhujia' seller, a police officer said, adding that his body has been sent for autopsy.
"The incident happened on Friday afternoon, when Sourav Gupta left his home for some personal work and while walking down the road, he somehow came in contact with some open electrical wire.
He was taken to the nearby hospital where he was declared as brought dead," the officer said.
The coastal districts of Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas were particularly hard hit, with initial estimates indicating substantial damage to kutcha dwellings, uprooted trees, and downed electricity poles.
Reports also noted breaches in mud embankments and severe flooding in low-lying areas, including the Kapil Muni temple in Gangasagar.
Cyclone Dana also impacted rice cultivation, as vast paddy fields were flattened and crops submerged.
Farmers in Paschim Medinipur and other affected areas voiced concerns over the additional losses incurred following recent flooding.
Meanwhile, parts of Kolkata experienced significant waterlogging into the afternoon as the cyclone brought torrential rain, inundating various areas across the city.
Odisha's chief minister said all the roads blocked by uprooted trees would be cleared by 1 pm on Friday as the rescue team personnel have already started working in the field as soon as the intensity of wind reduced on Thursday night.
Majhi said many electrical installations, like electric poles and transformers, have been damaged and are being repaired. "By 6 pm on Friday, electricity will be restored in all places, including the worst-hit Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak districts," he said.
The IMD has forecast heavy downpour till Saturday morning and issued a red warning (take action) for Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts.
Meanwhile, services at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar restarted around 8 am as weather conditions improved. Airport operations had been suspended since 5 pm on October 24 due to the cyclone.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) stated that trains began running as scheduled, except for those previously cancelled in its jurisdiction. Around 203 trains had been cancelled as a precaution for Cyclone Dana.
Trains from Visakhapatnam, Howrah, and Kharagpur to Bhubaneswar have now started operating, according to an ECoR official. A train on the Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam route is expected to arrive at Bhadrak Station at 2 pm. Railway authorities noted that trains scheduled to depart from Bhubaneswar and Puri will commence their journeys after noon on Friday, except for those that were specifically cancelled.
Similarly, flight operations at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata resumed at 8 am after Dana made landfall. Authorities had suspended flight operations since Thursday evening as a precaution.
Train services on the southern section of the Sealdah Division under Eastern Railway also resumed at 10 am after prior cancellations due to the cyclone. Services will be restored gradually during the day, officials said.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also announced that 1,600 newly born children and their mothers were doing fine.
He said the state government has evacuated 4,431 pregnant women to nearby health care centres, where 1,600 babies were born.
"I am happy to announce that the health of all the 1600 newborn babies is good and their mothers are also doing fine," the chief minister said.