Indian storm kills 17

Cyclone Laila slammed into the south Indian coast on Thursday, battering the region with heavy rains and winds up to 90 kilometers (55 miles) per hour, and uprooting trees and electric lines. At least 17 people are also reportedly killed. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said that the cyclone appeared to be weakening, though it still could cause widespread damage. The state had evacuated more than 50,000 people as it braced for its worst storm in 14 years. Heavy rains and strong winds killed at least 15 people over the past 24 hours, including four workers when an industrial workshop collapsed because of heavy rain, authorities said. At least 55 fishermen were reported missing. More than 50,000 people were moved from coastal and low-lying villages into temporary shelters in schools and government buildings, said state revenue minister Dharmana Prasad Rao. The state administration has identified 800 villages as vulnerable and were evacuating people before the cyclone hits, he said.The state government set up control rooms in the nine coastal districts to coordinate any rescue missions, and helicopters and buses were on standby to evacuate more areas and deliver relief supplies, he said. Strong winds uprooted trees, power lines and billboards, blocking off roads in many places. At least six districts were hit by power outages and hundreds of villages were in darkness for more than 10 hours. Waves as high as 8 feet (2 meters) could lash the coast, the state meteorological office warned. More than 10,000 people died when Andhra Pradesh was struck by its worst cyclone in 1977.