A cyclone demolished thousands of mud huts and uprooted trees in several villages in eastern India, killing at least 31 people, an official said Wednesday. Srikumar Mukherjee, the civil defense minister, said the cyclone struck Tuesday night in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal state, snapping telephone and electricity lines in the area. Mukherjee also said hundreds of people suffered injuries in the region, nearly 315 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state. The worst-hit villages were Hematabad, Raiganj and Kiran Dighi, where police and rescue have recovered 31 bodies, Mukherjee told The Associated Press. The cyclone demolished nearly 50,000 mud huts, he said.
