Cyclone Arnab makes landfall in eastern India, forcing more than 180,000 people to evacuate

Cyclone Arnab made landfall in the early hours of Wednesday, 28 October (local time), in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast, as a very severe cyclone, according to the India Meteorological Department cited by Reuters. According to ETV Bharat, it came ashore about 20 kilometres from Narsapur, in West Godavari, with gusts of 125 to 150 km/h.

Casualty figures differ. An official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Narendra Singh Bundela, said at least three people have died, according to Reuters. ETV Bharat reports six dead in Andhra Pradesh and one person missing. More than 180,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, according to Reuters.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu informed the central government of at least 180 houses destroyed and power outages in several areas, according to Reuters. ETV Bharat counts 9,527 power poles brought down in the former East Godavari district and several districts without electricity since Tuesday afternoon. The Ministry of Civil Aviation suspended operations at three airports in the state and trains were cancelled, according to Reuters.

The cyclone has weakened after moving inland, according to the Meteorological Department cited by ETV Bharat. There are no official figures for the number of customers without electricity, nor a final casualty count.