Cyclone Titli claims lives of 8 people in Andhra

Cyclonic storm Titli has left at least eight people dead in Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Among those killed, five people were from Srikakulam and three from Vijayanagaram. Most of them were fishermen.

The cyclone also badly hit the communication system in both the districts. More than 2000 electric poles collapsed, hampering the power supply in most parts of the two districts. Roads have also been badly damaged, disrupting the transport between coastal villages and the mainland.

In East Godavari district, out of 67 boats went for fishing, 65 returned on time. The remaining two boats remain trapped in the sea, with the officials trying to rescue them to the shore.

Earlier on Thursday, severe cyclonic storm, swirling over the Bay of Bengal, intensified into the 'very severe' category and made a landfall in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is expected to turn into a "deep depression" by Friday morning. "It (cyclone Titli) is very likely to move northwestwards for next 12 hours and then re-curve northeastwards towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha. It is very likely to weaken gradually becoming severe cyclonic storm around noon- cyclonic storm around the evening of today and a deep depression by the morning of tomorrow, October 12, 2018," IMD said.