Cyclone Titli lashes India's eastern coast, kills 8

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Cyclone Titli pounded the eastern shore of India Thursday, killing eight people and forcing 300,000 to evacuate.

The cyclone battered the coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with 95 mph winds and knocked out power to a half-million people.

The area with the most damage is the Gajapti district, where the storm uprooted trees.

"We believe that the entire state, except for some western parts, is likely to receive rain throughout the day," Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said. "There may be flooding of the Vansadhera River as Gajapati and Rayagada districts received heavy rainfall due to the cyclone."

The Andhra Pradesh area reported eight people had died, including a fisherman.

"Every hour from now on is very crucial," Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said.

Cyclones are hurricanes that occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Cyclone Titli, the Hindu word for butterfly, is expected to weaken late Thursday as it moves over the Indian coast. The storm was named by weather authorities in Pakistan.

The next will be named Gaja and Phetha named by Thailand and Sri Lanka, respectively.