Cyclone Titli: Toll rises to 77 in Odisha, severe damage to houses, crops

The death toll in the very severe cyclonic storm, Titli, and the subsequent flooding in Odisha had mounted to 77, official sources said on Wednesday.

The state government confirmed the death of 16 more persons and thus, the toll stood at 77, Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Pravat K Mohapatra said.

He added that while the bodies of 58 people were received, those of the remaining 19 were yet to be recovered.

Gajapati accounts for the highest number of 42 deaths, while 10 deaths have been recorded in Ganjam, two in Kandhamal and one each in Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Angul and Cuttack districts.

Besides, the bodies of 10 persons were yet to be recovered in Gajapati and nine in Ganjam, the official said.

In another development, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi, Energy Secretary Hemant Sharma, Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathibhathan and Panchayati Raj Department Special Project Director Premchandra Choudhary rushed to the worst-affected Gajapati district to review the relief-and-restoration work there.

Sethi told reporters that there was an extensive damage to houses and crops in Gajapati district and the people had received relief as directed by the government.

He said normalcy was restored in the district.

Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had directed the senior officials to visit the affected areas personally to review the relief-and-restoration work.

According to Mohapatra, a central team will visit Odisha soon to inspect the cyclone and flood-affected areas.

More than 6 million people in 17 districts were affected due to Titli and the resultant flood.

The districts affected in the twin calamities were -- Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri and Angul.

The Odisha government, meanwhile, has approved a Rs 27.7-billion assistance for the relief-and-restoration work in the cyclone and flood-affected districts.