Entire nation stands with West Bengal: PM Modi on Cyclone Amphan

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the entire nation stands with Bengal and "no stone will be left unturned" to help those affected by yesterday's devastating cyclone Amphan. The cyclone had pounded state capital Kolkata for more than four hours yesterday, uprooting trees, knocking down electricity poles, damaging buildings and killing 72 people.

"Have been seeing visuals from West Bengal on the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan. In this challenging hour, the entire nation stands in solidarity with West Bengal. Praying for the well-being of the people of the state. Efforts are on to ensure normalcy," the Prime Minister tweeted today.

In another tweet, he said the teams of the National Disaster Relief Force teams are working in the areas affected by the cyclone.

"Top officials are closely monitoring the situation and also working in close coordination with the West Bengal government. No stone will be left unturned in helping the affected," his tweet read.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the impact of Amphan was worse than the coronavirus pandemic and claimed that the state has incurred damages to the tune of of Rs 1 lakh crore.

Last night, she described the cyclone as a catastrophe. "Sarvanash hoye gelo (this si a catastrophe)…"I am sitting in the war room. My office in Nabanna is shaking. I am tackling a difficult situation on a war footing. The storm is likely to continue till midnight," Ms Banerjee said in a statement.

This morning, Kolkata looked like a battleground, with felled trees, snarled electric wires and damaged buildings blocking roads. The airstrip in Kolkata airport was waterlogged, two hangers had sustained extensive damages. Many parts of the city suffered power outage, which has still not been restored.

At least two districts - North and South 24 Parganas districts --  sustained extensive damages as winds with speed of upto 125 km per hour hot the coastal areas and swept inland.

More than five lakh people had been taken to shelters in Bengal and over one lakh in Odisha.