Kolkata, May 25
Cyclone ‘Aila’ made a landfall in West Bengal today, killing 21 persons, affecting over a lakh and leaving behind a trail of destruction before gradually weakening.

Boats moored at a harbour in Dhaka on Monday. Photo: AFP

Kolkata witnessed a severe storm and heavy rainfall as the cyclone ripped through the city, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Photo: AFP

“The cyclone, now lying stationery 50 km west of Kolkata, hit the West Bengal coast at 1.30 pm near Sagar Island. It is moving in a northerly direction and will weaken gradually,” Regional Meteorological Centre Director G C Debnath told PTI tonight. “Rains, however, will continue throughout tomorrow,” he said.

A severe storm with a wind speed of 110 kmph accompanied by heavy rainfall preceded the cyclone that had formed in the Bay of Bengal from a very deep depression last night.

It ripped through Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan and East Midnapore districts at 110 kmph, killing at least 21 persons and affected a population of 1.10 lakh, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta told newsmen here.

Unofficial reports, however, put the toll at 26 and the number of affected at over two lakh.

The CM said the cyclone’s tail was now in neighbouring Howrah district and had spared Kolkata. Dasgupta said the army was moving into Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas and Gosaba, Patharpratima and Sagardwip areas in South 24 Parganas districts.

The BSF would rescue people marooned by heavy rains at Sandeshkhali tomorrow morning. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee would visit Kakdwip in South Parganas district tomorrow.

Earlier, incessant rains accompanied by a strong wind reaching 100 to 120 kmph, hit the metropolis and all flights, including international ones at the N SC Bose international airport were suspended from 2 pm, official sources said. Trees were uprooted at several places here leading to severe dislocation of traffic as trams stopped running with power to overhead wires being switched off.

Offices declared a half-day holiday and schools closed early. There was a mad rush for transport as thousands of home-bound commuters thronged bus stops. Streets were littered with uprooted trees which blocked 32 roads, many of which were flooded, causing total disruption of transport services

Meanwhile, train services in both the Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway systems were affected by the cyclone.

An ER release said services in both Howrah and Sealdah divisions remained severely affected since noon. Sealdah South section remained the most affected with services remaining paralysed in Canning, Lakshmikantapur, Diamond Harbour and Budge Budge.

Tree branches fell on the tracks and overhead traction at Dhakuria, between Sealdah and Park Circus, Garia, Narendrapur, Sonarpur, Kalikapur, between Ghutiari Sharif and Taldi, Brace Bridge and Akra stations in the South section. On the Sealdah Main section, train services were disrupted from 12.35 pm to 1.20 pm as overhead lines snapped between Belgharia and Agarpara stations. Tree branches and fell on tracks at Dum Dum Jn, Baranagar in the Dankuni section and B B D Bag in the Circular Railway system. Power supply in the overhead traction remained disrupted between Titagarh and Kalyani from 1.05 pm to 1.20 pm.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee today said she apprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Central ministers of the grave situation in the state. “I contacted the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh), the Defence Minister (A K Antony) and also talked to Pranabda (Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee) four times,” the Trinamool Congress chief, who was to leave for Delhi but stayed back to stand beside the people because of the storm today, said.

The Centre would help the state government in tackling the situation, she said. “I am also asking those in the Railways to arrange shelter for affected people,” Banerjee said. An emergency control room, she said, has been set up at her Kalighat residence to monitor the situation and provide succour. — PTI