NEW DELHI, May 27 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Aila in eastern India and Bangladesh has risen to 203, regional media reported on Wednesday.
The powerful cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal and approached the coast of Bangladesh and India's West Bengal on Monday with a wind speed of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour.
A total of 121 people were killed and another 800 injured in coastal areas of Bangladesh, according to the country's Daily Star newspaper. In India, at least 82 people have died, the Indo-Asian News Service reports.
Around 30,000 houses have been damaged and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. Aid workers have dropped food and water from helicopters in the worst-hit districts.
Heavy rains continue to batter the region, causing mudslides and hampering relief efforts.
The Bay of Bengal sees frequent cyclones. In May 2008, at least 146,000 people were killed by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. In November 2007, Cyclone Sidr left over 3,000 people dead in Bangladesh.
