'Hudhud' live: Cyclone storm nears AP coast

Andhra Pradesh has put its coastal districts on alert as cyclonic storm, 'Hudhud', over Bay of Bengal is heading towards the coast and is likely to make a landfall near Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Here are the latest updates

• The cyclone is presently active and lay centred about 570 kms from Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam areas. Under its impact there is likelihood of heavy, very heavy rains and high speed winds.
• Round the clock control rooms have been opened at Andhra Pradesh secretariat in Hyderabad. The numbers are 040- 23456005 and 23450419.
• The authorities have set up over 200 relief camps to provide shelter to people to be evacuated from vulnerable villages.
• As many as 24,000 people were shifted from Visakhapatnam district, 15,000 from Vizianagaram and 46,000 from Srikakulam and 160 from East Godavari district so far,
• The cyclone is lying 330 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 380 km south-southeast of Gopalpur on Saturday morning.
• Fifteen teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 250 personnel of army have reached the region while four naval ships and 10 helicopters of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) are ready for rescue and relief operations.
• The railways have cancelled over 60 trains and diverted many others in view of the cyclone.
• The cyclone is likely to cross the land border between Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam during early hours of October 12 or a little later

-Sakshipost, With PTI Inputs