Cyclone Laila arriving at 90 miles per hour struck the southern coast of India killing 15 people, 55 fishermen missing, and left 50,000 people temporarily homeless. Uprooted trees and electric lines blocked off roads and caused widespread 10-hour blackout in hundreds of villages. The state government started rescue missions in nine coastal districts with helicopters and buses readied for evacuation and relief operations.
Andhra Pradesh was hit by the worst cyclone in 1977 leaving 10,000 people dead. The tropical cyclone originated in the Bay of Bengal and move northwestward before reaching India. Around 120 relief camps were opened in Machlipatanam, a possible cyclone landfall point. Although the cyclone is weakening, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said it still could cause heavy damage.Other parts of the state had been experiencing heavy rainfall before the cyclone arrived. Around 800 villages were left vulnerable. Armed forces were mobilized to help out in the rescue and relief operations. The state government had been preparing for this natural calamity.
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