Cyclone Titli: Death toll mounts to three in Odisha

Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: The toll in Cyclone Titli in Odisha rose to three Friday after two bodies were recovered in Ganjam district, near where it made its landfall, as the state government deployed NDRF and ODRAF personnel to speed up rescue and relief operations.

One of the two bodies was that of a 40-year-old fisherman from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, said police, which found it.

The fisherman was reportedly missing since Wednesday from Ramayapatna under Golanthara police station limits and his body was found near the jetty of Gopalpur port. His identity is being ascertained, said the inspector in-charge of marine police station, Arjeepalli Baideshi Behera.

The other body found is that of a 45-year-old man of Bhuta Pankal village under Sorada block in Ganjam district who had been missing since the very severe cyclone struck the state Thursday, police said.

The body was found 200 feet downstream of the village, inspector in-charge of Sorada police station Prabhat Sahoo said.

Five persons from the village were missing since they crossed Khadangi nullha while returning to their homes from a cyclone shelter on Thursday. Search is on to locate the four others, he said.

On Thursday, the body of an eight-year old boy, who had slipped into a canal at Saradhapur village under Hinjili police station, was found by locals, police said.

In Andhra Pradesh, eight lives have been snuffed out by the twister on Thursday.

The Odisha government is, however, yet to confirm the deaths.

"We have seen media reports of the deaths of two or three persons in districts. We are verifying it," Chief Secretary A P Padhi said to questions by scribes on the human casualty due to Cyclone Titli.

It deployed NDRF and ODRAF personnel Friday to speed up rescue and relief operation mainly in the southern districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada where more than 60 lakh people were affected by flood due to heavy rainfall triggered by the cyclone.

The flood situation in three districts is grim as the water levels in major rivers like Rushikulya and Bansadhara have crossed their danger marks, official sources said.

The three districts received highest rainfall for three

days under the impact of Cyclone Titli.