Tropical cyclone Laila battered India's south-eastern coast today inundating large areas, snapping power and communication lines and disrupting transport after heavy rains and fierce winds claimed at least 14 lives, according to dpa. The storm, packing winds with speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour, made landfall at coastal Bapatla town in Andhra Pradesh state, the Indian Meteorological Department said. State authorities said tidal waves as high as three metres struck the shores over 350 kilometres south-east of the main city of Hyderabad. Local agencies were assessing the damage caused by the cyclone in six coastal districts of Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna and West and East Godavari. After landfall, the cyclone re-emerged in the Bay of Bengal and was heading towards the coastal areas of the Orissa up north, the IANS news agency reported. Weather officials said the course of Laila was not unusual, as there were precedents of cyclones re-emerging on the sea after landfall. In its bulletin, the IMD said the current environmental conditions suggested that the cyclonic system would weaken gradually. "But it will continue to cause heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 36 hours," IMD director general Ajit Tyagi told reporters in Delhi. Nearly 50,000 people living in low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Tamil Nadu state were evacuated over the past two days. The cyclonic storm has already brought incessant rains and gales since Wednesday, wreaking havoc in the coastal regions. At least 14 people have died in storm-related incidents, including lightning strikes and wall collapses, since Tuesday night, the IANS reported. Twenty-five fishermen were also reported missing. Eleven major towns and 1,500 villages were plunged into darkness as gales damaged power lines. Trains and flights in the affected areas were cancelled Thursday. Heavy rains had also inundated many towns and villages. Bus stations, shops and even hospitals in the towns were under more than half a metre of water, the report said. Over 500 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force moved into the affected areas with boats and rescue equipment. Armed forces had geared up for a coordinated response to help civil administration in rescue efforts, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. The army also moved in about 300 personnel, while the Indian Air Force mobilized four helicopters and 11 cargo planes for operations. "We have taken all preventive measures to minimise the loss of lives and property. The official machinery is prepared to deal with any eventuality," Andhra Chief Minister K Rosaiah said. Cyclones often form over the Bay of Bengal from April to November, bringing widespread destruction and flooding in India's southern and eastern coastal regions. In May 2009, Cyclone Aila killed more than 300 people when it struck India's eastern state of West Bengal and Bangladesh. More than 1,600 people were killed in a similar storm in Andhra Pradesh in November 1996.
