In a first for Odisha, no deaths due to a cyclone
May 22, 2020 14:39
The Odisha government said on Friday that there has been no confirmation of any loss of human life in the state due to cyclone Amphan though it affected nearly 45 lakh people and damaged a large number of houses in the coastal districts. Though there were reports of two cyclone-related deaths in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena claimed the causes were different. As per the collectors of these districts (Bhadrak and Kendrapara), there was no confirmed death due to cyclone, he told PTI.
It is a fact that two people, a 4-year-old child and a 67-year-old woman, died on May 19 but their deaths were not because of the cyclone, the official said.
Bhadrak District Collector Gyanranjan Das and Kendrapara Collector Samarth Verma said they have personally visited the houses of the two people who died. "Yes, I have visited the house of the child in Tihidi block of Bhadrak. But, I found that the four walls of the house were intact and did not collapse. Though it was alleged that the child died due to cyclone, I am not convinced keeping in view the circumstantial evidence," Das told PTI. Verma said there was no scope of house collapse as the deceased woman lived in a pucca house. The woman died in her house due to natural causes related to old age, he said.
However, both the district collectors said they are awaiting the postmortem reports. The state government, while preparing the strategy for tackling the calamity, had set a zero casualty target. This is the first time that there has been no cyclone related death in the state, officials said. -- PTI
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