Killer Cyclone Fani is one of the worst storms in decade with wind speeds of 155mph

At least 15 people have died as Cyclone Fani ripped through India and Bangladesh.

The cyclone is the worst in India in 20 years and one of the Bay of Bengal’s larges storm in decades, officials said on Saturday.

The storm ripped through the Indian state of Odisha on Friday, uprooting trees and power lines and smashing traditional thatched-roof huts.

On Saturday, Fani crossed over India’s West Bengal state and moved northeast toward Bangladesh, weakening from a severe cyclonic storm to a cyclonic storm.

At least a dozen people were killed in Bangladesh as the cyclone hovered over the country’s southwestern coast, delivering battering rain storms.

At least six people were killed by lighting, local newspapers and TV reported.

In India, where an unprecedented 1.2 million were evacuated from low-lying areas and placed in hundreds of shelters.

Three people were killed in the storm, India’s National Disaster Response Force director SN Pradhan.

He said: ‘The precautions that have been taken should be continued,’ adding that downed phone lines meant that the extent of the destruction was yet to be known.

According to the Press Trust of India, one victim was a teenager killed by a falling tree in the district of Puri, a popular tourist area in Odisha.

Another woman was killed while fetching water when she was struck by flying debris from a concrete structure.

Another woman, age 65, died after a suspected heart attack at a cyclone shelter, PTI reported.

Widespread power outages, damaged water supplies and roads blocked by fallen trees and power lines have made transport around the affected area difficult, officials said.

The disaster response agency said authorities were working ‘on war footing’ to restore power and communications, and clear roads of debris.

According to Mohammad Heidarzadei, an expert on storms and cyclones at Brunel University of London, the cyclone packed sustained wind speeds of 155 miles per hour when it made landfall in Odisha, equivalent in strength to a Category 4 hurricane.

Heidarzadei said that historically, most people killed in cyclones were struck by wind-swept debris.

He added: ‘It is essential that public avoid going out as much as possible and take safe refuge inside their houses to save their lives.

Bad weather from Fani was projected to affect around 100 million people.

The relatively low casualty count demonstrates much improved disaster readiness in India since 1999, when a ‘super’ cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha.

Indian officials cautioned that the death toll could rise as communications are restored.

Oxfam India have pre-positioned stocks ready to respond with clean water, hygiene kits, emergency food security and temporary shelter support.

Pankaj Anand, director of programme and advocacy for Oxfam India said: ‘We are focusing on work that will help people regain their income, provide clean water, prevent water borne diseases, and protect displaced people.

‘The hygiene needs of women and girls in particular, will be one of our top priorities. After the full assessment of people’s needs, we will work to rebuild and rehabilitate in the worst affected areas.’