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The Kolkata Airport suspended flight operations for approximately 21 hours, affecting 394 flights. According to airport authorities, 170 domestic flights and 28 international flights were scheduled for departure, while 26 international flights were set to arrive during the suspension period.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published May 27, 2024, 10:12 AM IST

Cyclonic storm Remal made landfall late Sunday (May 26) night between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, causing extensive flooding and damaging homes in various parts of West Bengal. Authorities had preemptively evacuated over 100,000 people from vulnerable areas before the cyclone struck around 8:30 pm, between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepapura in Bangladesh.

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"In view of Cyclone Remal's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, a meeting was held with stakeholders, and it was decided to suspend flight operations from noon on May 26 to 9 am on May 27 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata," the NSCBI airport director C Pattabhi said.

The Eastern and South Eastern Railways also cancelled several trains on routes to and from the coastal South and North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts as a precautionary measure. Train services in the Sealdah South section and Barasat-Hasnabad section of Sealdah division were suspended from 11 pm on Sunday to 6 am on Monday.

On Sunday, five suburban trains were cancelled, and eight local trains were not operational on Monday morning. Additionally, the South Eastern Railway cancelled the Howrah-Digha-Howrah Kandari Express on Sunday, along with some MEMU and EMU services to and from Digha on both Sunday and Monday.

In response to the crisis, the Kolkata Police established a unified command center at its headquarters, including officials from power utilities, the Public Works Department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, National Disaster Response Force, Kolkata Municipal Development Authority (KMDA), fire and emergency services, the Disaster Management Group (DMG), and the police.

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The city police also announced helpline numbers for citizens: 9432610428 and 94326104290, in addition to the landline numbers 033-2214-3024 and 033-2214-3230. Helpline numbers at the state secretariat are 1070 and (033)-22143526.

Last Updated May 27, 2024, 10:12 AM IST