Cyclone Fani leaves path of destruction in India
Cyclone Fani, one of the biggest storms to come off the Indian Ocean in recent years, has struck the east coast of India in the state of Odisha. The winds and fierce rains have already caused huge damage to the region.
Destructive wind power
This gas station in the town of Puri bore the brunt of Cyclone Fani's onslaught. Widespread devastation is expected along the cyclone's path as it heads inland. It hit the coast of Odisha state on Friday morning, bringing wind gusts of up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour. The storm is the most powerful to hit the region since a deadly one in 1999 that killed thousands.
Scenes of foreboding
The cyclone had been expected for days and more than a million people have been moved from coastal regions in the state of Odisha to thousands of shelters. Schools and colleges in Odisha have been closed.
Blown away
These stalls at the road's edge stood no chance of resisting the winds brought by Cyclone Fani. Power and water have also been cut off.
Abandoned to its fate
More than a million people in Odisha and hundreds of thousands more people in West Bengal have been given orders to flee. Fani is expected to move northeastwards toward Bangladesh, with the homes of 100 million people in its path.
Transport problems
Trains between Kolkata and Odisha were canceled ahead of Cyclone Fani, leaving many passengers stranded. The storm is the biggest since a cyclone in 1999 killed 10,000 people in Odisha.