On Wednesday afternoon, super cyclone Amphan hit the Sundarbans, a mangrove area around the India-Bangladesh border which is home to almost four million people. Moving north-eastwards at a speed of 200 KMPH it has struck parts of West Bengal and Odisha.
Cyclone Amphan has led to large-scale devastation in Kolkata, leaving millions of people affected in its trail. This is said to be the first super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal since 1990.
Around 12 people have lost their lives in West Bengal. CM Mamata Bannerjee described the impact of this cyclone on Kolkata as worse than the disaster of COVID-19. She has pegged the damage to public property at Rs 1 lakh crore so far comparing it to a ‘war-like’ situation.’
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
People took to social media to share images and updates of the destruction left by the super-cyclone. Many reported power-cuts and network outage too.
https://twitter.com/deepscribble/status/1263175225337950208
A rickshaw puller tries to navigate through fallen trees, flooded streets. Kolkata after #Amphan. Picture by Kounteya Sinha. pic.twitter.com/NprFI3jlqh
— Deep Halder (@deepscribble) May 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/WBPolice/status/1262736153028907008
As the cyclone continues on its path north, West Bengal, Orissa in India, and neighbouring Bangladesh have been left dealing with the double whammy of the Coronavirus pandemic and the cyclone.
“The cyclone washed away bridges connecting Indian islands to the mainland and left many areas without utilities, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters Wednesday evening,” as reported by New York Times.
