7 dead, 1mn evacuated in wake of Indian cyclone
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New Delhi (dpa) - A powerful cyclone left a trail of destruction along India's eastern coast Sunday and claimed up to seven lives.
However, the biggest evacuation in the country's history, involving a million people, was credited with saving many lives.
Cyclone Phailin, packing winds of around 200 kilometres per hour (km/h), barreled in from the Bay of Bengal to make landfall near Orissa's coastal town of Gopalpur Saturday night.
Phalin had travelled some 200 kilometres inland and waned considerably Sunday, with winds up to 110 km/h. Forecasts predicted that the cyclonic system would "collapse" by Sunday night.
