Kolkata: The death toll due to cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 80 as authorities are busy restoring the normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disasters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation in West Bengal in the wake of the cyclone wreaking havoc in the two states. Five more bodies were recovered from the debris since Thursday night in various parts of West Bengal, raising the toll in the state to 77, officials said.
Lakhs of people were rendered homeless as cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through half a dozen districts of West Bengal, including state capital Kolkata, Wednesday night, blowing away shanties, uprooting thousands of trees besides swamping low-lying areas.
Although electricity and the mobile connection was restored in some parts of the state capital and North and South 24 Parganas, two worst-hit districts, large parts of the city continued to remain without electricity as power poles had been blown away and communication lines snapped.
Modi undertook an aerial survey of 'cyclone-hit' areas in West Bengal along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"He will conduct aerial surveys and take part in review meetings, where aspects of relief and rehabilitation will be discussed," the PMO said in a tweet Thursday night.
According to TMC sources, the chief minister demanded a financial package for the state.
"During COVID-19 situation, the states go nothing. We hope due to this cyclone, the central government would leave aside politics and would extend all sorts of help to rebuild the state," a senior TMC leader had said earlier.