Cyclone Arnob toll in Odisha rises to 6 with 10 missing, as 'Murasu' heads for the Andhra coast

The death toll from Cyclone Arnob in India's Odisha rose to six on Sunday, with 10 more people still missing. The state government has announced a special package for the affected families. At the same time, Odisha is preparing for another storm that could strike the coast of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on November 3.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh P Patil said Cyclone Arnob, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on October 28, and the subsequent flooding had affected 118,000 people in Odisha. Cropland over 75,388 hectares was damaged and 1,672 houses were destroyed.

He said work was proceeding on two fronts as Cyclone Murasu approached — relief and rescue for those hit by Arnob, and preparation for the coming disaster. Officials said the Arnob toll reached six after two bodies were recovered on Sunday from a village in the state's south destroyed by a landslide. The search for the remaining 10 missing people continues.

A senior revenue department official said the state was adopting a new strategy, learning from this disaster, to reduce losses. More than 6,400 workers have been deployed in the cyclone-hit areas of southern Odisha to speed up restoration of electricity supply.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the latest storm has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and will make landfall between Nellore and Narasapur in Andhra Pradesh on the night between November 2 and 3. Winds will blow at 100 to 110 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour.

Under the name given by India, the cyclone is called 'Murasu', meaning a war drum. Manorama Mohanty, director of the Bhubaneswar meteorological centre, said rain would begin in Odisha from November 2, increase on November 3, and continue until November 4 under the cyclone's influence.

Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government was fully prepared to face the coming cyclone and assured people there was no need to panic. He said the state had improved its equipment and readiness while keeping in place the arrangements made for Arnob.

He said a high alert had already been issued in the south, including Ganjam, which was badly hit by Arnob. The government has also ordered evacuations from low-lying and hilly areas before Murasu makes landfall.

Schools and colleges in several districts of southern Odisha have been declared closed until November 3.