Cyclone toll rises to over 130 in India, Bangladesh
20:11, 26 May 2009
NEW DELHI. May 26. KAZINFORM The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Aila that has battered eastern India and Bangladesh has risen to 133, local media reported on Tuesday, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The powerful cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal and approached the coast of Bangladesh and India's West Bengal with a wind speed of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour.
In India, 35 people were killed by falling trees or drowned in overflowing rivers, the IANS news agency said. At least 98 people died in neighboring Bangladesh, according to the Daily Star.
Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes. Schools and other public places have been closed. Flights into and out of the airport in West Bengal's capital of Kolkata have also been suspended.
Troops have been dispatched to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone, Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.