Eight people were killed and more than 100 injured Tuesday when a violent tornado ripped through several villages in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, officials said.
The twister tore through the coastal district of Kendrapara, 110 kilometres (68 miles) east of the state capital Bhubaneswar, destroying more than 300 homes.
"At the moment I can only confirm eight deaths but the toll is sure to rise as there are reports of villagers recovering more bodies from the interior," district administrator Ranjan Kumar Das told AFP.
Sahu said electricity had been cut in all villages and rescue crews were searching in the dark for victims in the debris of collapsed houses, most of which had thatched roofs.
Authorities took over local school buildings to convert them into temporary shelters.
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