Cyclone Titli LIVE Updates: 8 Killed in Andhra Pradesh, 3 Lakh Evacuated in Odisha

Earlier in the day, Odisha chief minister Naveeen Patnaik reviewed the preparedness for Cyclone Titli. He asked district administration, police, fire service, and coastguard to closely monitor the situation in the state.

CM @Naveen_Odisha reviewed readiness as #CycloneTitli intensifies into a severe storm and likely to landfall at 5AM. He directed district administration, police, fire service, and coastguard to closely monitor the situation and remain prepared with adequate relief materials (1/2) pic.twitter.com/Kyizb0kKbp

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) 10 October 2018

Seen here, photos from Palasa railway station in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district reeling under the onslaught of Cyclone Titli.

Andhra Pradesh: Visuals from Palasa railway station in Srikakulam district as #CycloneTitli hits the region. pic.twitter.com/yLPLvY57O3

— ANI (@ANI) 11 October 2018

The road network suffered extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, while the power distribution network was also vastly affected. More than 2,000 electric poles were uprooted by strong winds. The Eastern Power Distribution Company that caters to the electricity needs of the north coastal districts reported that the power distribution system for 4,319 villages and six towns was affected in Srikakulam district. 

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said, a 62-year-old woman died at Gudivada Agraharam village after an uprooted tree fell on her and a 55-year-old man lost his life in a house collapse at Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) informed that six fishermen, who had put out to sea, were killed. Of the 67 fishing boats that had ventured into the sea over the last few days from Kakinada in East Godavari district, 65 had returned to the shore safely, the CMO said. Efforts were on to bring back the remaining two boats safely, SDMA added in a release.

Cyclonic storm, 'Titli' has claimed eight lives besides causing widespread damage in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said. The cyclone has thrown normal life out of gear as heavy to very heavy rains started lashing the two districts since late Wednesday night.

Around three lakh people were evacuated in Odisha along the eastern coast as the very severe cyclonic storm 'Titli' made a landfall Thursday morning, the Home Ministry said Thursday. Eight districts of Odisha -- Ganjam, Khurdha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Gajapati Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore -- were hit by the very severe cyclonic storm that caused heavy to very heavy rainfall in large parts of the state, damaging thatched and asbestos houses and street lights. The cyclone crossed the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast near Palasa in Srikakulam district to the southwest of Gopalpur with estimated maximum sustained surface wind speed of 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph between 430 hours and 0530 hours, according to a statement issued by the Home Ministry.

The very severe cyclonic storm 'Titli' did not have much effect in West Bengal following its landfall Thursday, but the southern districts of the state are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain as it is may turn towards Gangetic West Bengal, officials said. The storm is likely to move northwestwards till Thursday evening and then recurve northeastwards towards Gangetic West Bengal, weakening gradually into a deep depression by Friday morning, the weatherman said. The cyclone has made landfall early Thursday with surface wind reaching speed of 126 kmph at Gopalpur of Ganjam district in neighbouring Odisha.

Tin sheets strewn around at a railway station in Odisha. 

Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) has still not activated supply line to Railway Electric Sub-Stations at Jagannathpur and Baruva. Because of this, Electric supply is not yet made available. This needs to be restored by OPTCL on top most priority for resumption of Train Services.

New Delhi: Cyclone Titli made landfall near Gopalpur in Odisha's Ganjam district early Thursday morning, accompanied with wind speeds that reached up to 126 kmph.

Government and authorities are on alert. It is the need of the hour for everyone to come forward. I am confident that this crisis will be handled in a proper way with everyone's support: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan #TitliCyclone pic.twitter.com/H9N7ZuaqL4

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2018

Bay of Bengal and the Odisha coastline is no stranger to severe category cyclonic storms though. Superstorms like Phailin, Hudhud and the infamous 1999 Odisha cyclone have lashed the region in the past, taking thousands lives and uprooting countless homes.

Railway Recruitment Board Group D Exam scheduled for October 11 and 12 in Odisha has been postponed in view of the cyclone Titli.  RRB, Bhubaneswar has released a notification on its official website, as per which, the RRB Group D Exam 2018 at exam centres in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Khurda and Berhamapur cities will not be organized on 11th and 12th October 2018, in the wake of ‘TITLI’ Cyclone that has crippled the state of Odisha. University Examinations scheduled for today have been postponed as discussed and agreed by VC Dr. Ambedkar University

Two people have been killed in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district as cycloneTitli made landfall there. 

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to visit cyclone hit Srikakulam district today noon. He will stay this night in Srikakulam to review the situation. 

Electricity polls fallen at Parvathipuram govt junior college in Vijayanagaram dist of Andhra Prasesh.

Power supply and telephone links got disrupted and road communication snapped due to uprooted trees at many places of Gajapati district, the SRC said.
Efforts are on to clear roads blocked by uprooted trees and restore power supply in affected areas at the earliest, he said.

"There has been no major damage or report of casualty received from any part of the state so far. Some destruction was reported from Ganjam and Gajapati districts," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said.

Cyclone Titli  has uprooted trees and electric poles and damaged hutments in Odisha's Ganjam and Gajapati districts after making landfall early Thursday morning, but no loss of lives was reported from any part of the state, officials said. The cyclone also triggered heavy rainfall in at least three districts and caused minor damage to power and communication.

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu is reviewing the Titli cyclone situation. He has held a few review meetings monitoring the situation since yesterday.  "Gathering information from ISRO and AP Real Time Governance, he has been alerting the concerned officials to take necessary action.  Using Real Time Governance, getting information on destruction caused," a statement by the Cm's office said. The cyclone crossed the coast at 5.40 am and the situation was brought under control by 8 am, it said. 

Besides, fire service teams across Odisha have been asked to remain in the alert, said the SRC office. While all district collectors have been asked to keep the administrative machinery in preparedness, District Emergency Operation Centres of all districts and control rooms of different departments have been activated round the clock.

Special Relief Commission (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi has asked collectors of affected districts to ensure that 836 numbers of multi-purpose shelters are kept ready to accommodate maximum people. 13 NDRF and 9 ODRAF teams have been deployed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Kendrapada, Nayagarh, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Khordha, Cuttack, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, Boudh and Sambalpur districts.

Officials at the Odisha State Emergency Centre in the office of Special Relief Commissioner keeping a watch on the overall development of the cyclone Titli in Odisha and keeping the different stakeholders updated, Firstpost reported. 

Meanwhile, the NDMA has issued a list of precautions for the safety of people during the cyclone Titli. 

#CycloneTitli #CycloneTitliAlert#Odisha #Kolkata #Andamans #Lakshadweep #TamilNadu #Chennai #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/rfrQZXcgnO

— NDMA India (@ndmaindia) October 11, 2018

Cyclone Titli is moving at a speed of 140-150 km per hour. Odisha's Gopalpur reported 102 km per hour and Andhra Pradesh's Kalingapatnam reported 56 km per hour surface wind speed, ANI reported. 

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has been reviewing the preparedness to deal with the onslaught of high speed winds and rain. 

Reviewed @SRC_Odisha 's preparedness for landfall of #CycloneTitli; with 3 lakh evacuations so far and monitoring of water reservoirs and supply of essential services and goods, we are geared up; urge people to restrain from rumours and panic pic.twitter.com/opnq8PkEug

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 10, 2018

The high speed winds have caused damage to kuchha houses, trees and electric poles have been uprooted, offivials said. Road communication in some places, including Gopalpur and Berhampur, was snapped, NDTV reported. The South Western Railways cancelled/diverted/short terminated a number of trains due to cyclone Titli.