49 dead, millions of dollars in damage after south India cyclone

HYDERABAD, India (AFP) Dec 17, 2003
At least 49 people died and millions of dollars worth of crop damaged when a cyclone ripped through rice-growing villages on India's southeastern coast, officials said Wednesday.

Twenty-four people have died of illness in Andhra Pradesh state's Krishna district since the winds touching 120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour hit late Monday, district collector Prabhakar Reddy told AFP.

"Most of the victims are people above the age of 50 who were exposed to cold winds and rains following the cyclone," Reddy said.

Local officials reported 24 more deaths in the adjoining Andhra Pradesh districts of Guntur and West Godavari.

Reddy said the death toll could have been higher but that thousands of villagers were taken to safe locations before the cyclone, which collapsed homes and uprooted trees.

The evacuation could not protect paddy in the district, considered Andhra Pradesh's rice bowl, with damage to the crop estimated at 1.25 billion rupees (27.5 million dollars), Reddy said.

TERRA.WIRE