At least 82 people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed as a powerful cyclone slammed into eastern India and Bangladesh, with gusting winds of up to 185 kmph.
Indian federal authorities put the death toll in the state of West Bengal at 72, adding that some of the hardest hit regions were still inaccessible due to continuous rainfall.
"We are facing greater damage and devastation than the CoVID-19," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
Parts of the capital city, Kolkata, were plunged into darkness, with strong winds uprooting trees and electricity poles.
In neighbouring Bangladesh, at least 10 people have died with power outages reported in some districts.


US, Iran at odds on nuclear inspections, frozen assets in deal to end war
Oman establishes temporary shipping corridor through Strait of Hormuz
Power cuts in France leave thousands sweltering amid scorching heatwave
Libya's eastern government bans entry of nationals from four African countries
New Lebanon-Israel talks begin in shadow of US-Iran deal
