Storm in India Kills 63, Floods 100 Villages
A cyclone dissipated Thursday as it moved inland after leaving at least 63 people dead, about 5 million others without electricity and submerging more than 100 villages in coastal areas of southeastern India.
Officials said the toll is expected to rise once remote areas cut off by the storm become accessible.
By evening, wind speeds had dropped from 155 m.p.h. to about 50 m.p.h., although heavy rains continued to fall in many areas of Andhra Pradesh state, officials said in the capital, Hyderabad.
More than 200,000 people had to be evacuated at the height of the storm. Property damage and crop destruction also was widespread. Authorities said smooth evacuations of people in the storm’s path saved an unknown number of lives.
The storm’s center was located near the inland town of Bhadrachalam. It roared out of the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday night.
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