Tornado, hailstorm kill eight in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, March 31 (IANS) At least eight people were killed and over 100 injured when an unseasonal violent tornado followed by hailstorm wreaked havoc in about a dozen Orissa villages Tuesday, an official said.

The tornado and hailstorm hit about 11 villages in Kendrapada district around 4.30 p.m. and continued for nearly one-and-a-half hours, district sub-collector R.K. Das told IANS.

The death toll is feared to rise, Das said while unofficial sources put the toll at 20 and the number of injured over 200.

The relief and rescue team has been deputed to the region but the rescuers were not able to reach any of the affected villages because large number of uprooted trees blocked the way, he said.