Cyclone Yaas batters Odisha and Bengal, leaves trail of destruction

Cyclone Yaas, packing winds of up to 130-145 kmph, whiplashed the country’s eastern coasts on Wednesday, dumping heavy rain, damaging houses and farmlands, and leaving at least four persons dead — three in Odisha and one in Bengal — officials said. The storm, which had weakened during the afternoon, had left the coastal states on edge, with the Bengal government claiming that at least one crore people have been affected by the calamity.