New Delhi: Taking precautionary measures against cyclone 'Fani', the Indian Railway has cancelled 223 trains in the Bhadrak-Vizianagaram section, along the coastal lines of Odisha on the Kolkata-Chennai route till May 4, officials said. A senior Railway Ministry official told IANS: "140 Mail and Express trains and 83 passenger trains have been cancelled till May 4 afternoon on the Bhadrak-Vizianagaram section (along Odisha coastline) of Kolkata-Chennai route." Indian Railway has also released several helpline numbers for passengers at various railways stations in the affected states.

He said that nine trains have been diverted and four trains have been short terminated.

Earlier in the day, extremely severe cyclone storm cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha coast near Puri on Friday morning, triggered heavy rains in parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, while gusty winds uprooted trees and electricity poles.








Aviation regulator DGCA announced that flights in and out of Bhubaneswar airport stand cancelled on Friday.  Reports also say no flights will land or take off from Kolkata airport between 3 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday.


In view of the cyclonic storm, the Railways has also released helpline numbers:
Bhubaneswar- 0674-2303060, 2301525, 2301625
Khurda Road-0674-2490010, 2492511, 2492611
Sambalpur-0663- 2532230, 2533037, 2532302
Visakhapatnam–0891- 2746255, 1072
Puri- 06752-225922
Bhadrak- 06784-230827

(With additional information from IANS)