PM Modi to visit cyclone Hudhud-hit Vizag on Tuesday

Cyclone Hudhud, which hit the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coastline on Sunday, has left behind a trail of massive destruction. The death toll now stands at eight while nearly 4 lakh people have been evacuated so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted saying he will visit the affected areas on Tuesday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also spoken to the Chief Ministers of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh after heavy rainfall was forecast in these states.

The Visakhapatnam airport has reopened for relief operations. The Navy has deployed reconnaissance aircraft for damage assessment.

Extremely turbulent weather conditions continue to prevail over the coast. But the cyclone is weakening and has now turned into a depression.

Many places including Visakhapatnam are still without power and communication. Transport services have also been hit.

The high velocity winds battered Visakhapatnam, which is home to a Naval base, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari districts throwing normal life out of gear after the cyclone made landfall shortly before noon downing power and communication lines and closing roads and railways.

Trees were uprooted and roofs of thatched huts and sheds and hoardings blown away and streets largely wore a deserted look as panic-stricken residents remained indoors. Transport services came to to a halt in the region. Flights were also disrupted.

The Railways cancelled 58 trains and diverted 50 trains on the Vizag route in view of the situation, officials said. According to AP's Revenue (Disaster Management) Department, the cyclone left railway lines in Visakhapatnam badly damaged, besides causing "damage" to the airport there. A total of 2,48,004 people were "affected" by Hudhud, which also damaged 70 houses, it said.

In Odisha, blackouts have hit many areas in the southern part of the state. Communication lines are also down as the state scrambles resources to prepare for the threat of floods as heavy rains are likely to continue for the next three days.

"We are all prepared. 67,752 people have been evacuated in Gajapati, Ganjam, Korapur and other districts to 604 safe shelters. We are monitoring the situation and are taking all possible steps," said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.