India braces for tropical cyclone

CHANDIGARH, India

Indian government is on high alert as the country's east coast braces for a tropical cyclone.

Officials said they have to evacuate 800,000 people from Odisha state to safer places.

"Some 20,000 people have been shifted already,” Prabhat Ranjan Mohapatra, a senior officer at Odisha’s special relief commissioner office, told Anadolu Agency.

He said disaster teams have been deployed and 14 districts of the state are expected to come under the impact of Cyclone Fani.

India's National Disaster Management Authority earlier this week said a severe cyclone will hit Odisha coast on May 3 with wind speeds of 175-185 km/h gusting up to 205 km/h.