Death toll swells to 57 as cyclone Titli hits India

NEW DELHI - The death toll from severe cyclone Titli in India's eastern state of Odisha has risen to 57, local government officials said Thursday.

The cyclone inflicted an estimated loss of 300 million U.S. dollars, a local government spokesman said.

"The government has mooted the process of relief and restoration and besides this Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has hiked the ex-gratia for the kin of the victims to 13,588 U.S. dollars from earlier announced 5,436 U.S. dollars," said the spokesman.

Titli made landfall last week in Odisha and neighboring Andhra Pradesh state with an estimated maximum sustained surface wind speed of 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph.

The cyclone caused widespread damage in the two states by uprooting scores of trees and electric poles.

Odisha government officials said the cyclone affected 16 districts including Gajapati, Kandhamal, Cuttack, Angul, Keonjhar and Nayagarh.

Of the 57 deaths, 39 were reported from Gajapati district, officials said.

Senior government official A P Padhi said restoration work was going on in full swing.

"Almost all the thoroughfares have been repaired and power and drinking water supplies restored in the urban areas. However, in the rural areas, the work is still in progress," he said.

Padhi said medical teams were visiting the affected areas. The Odisha government, in anticipation of the severe cyclone, had evacuated more than 300,000 people from coastal districts.