Bhubaneswar airport resumes service hours after Cyclone Yaas

The Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and the East Coast Railway, headquartered at the Odisha capital, resumed operations from Wednesday evening, hours after Cyclone Yaas hit the state, officials said.

The airport suspended flight services for about 20 hours while the ECoR had cancelled 124 trains in the wake of the cyclone.

The airport issued a notice to airmen on Tuesday to alert airlines that its flight operations will be suspended from 11 pm to 5 am on Thursday.

However, in a Twitter post on Wednesday evening, it said, "NOTAM regarding Bhubaneswar Airport closing has been cancelled/withdrawn. Bhubaneswar Airport is now operational from 1900 hrs on 26/05/2021 for flight operations."

The ECoR also decided to run some of the special trains which were cancelled in view of the cyclone.

"Due to the improvement in situation caused by Cyclone Yaas and after reviewing the feasibility and safety of train operations, it has been decided to run goods trains from Wednesday evening. Passenger train services will resume from Thursday," a senior official said.

The railway had cancelled about 124 trains which were originating, terminating and passing through East Coast Railway jurisdiction especially in the Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam section.

Railway stations such as Bhadrak, Jajpur Keonjhar Road, Paradeep Port and Dhamra Port which were put on high alert, have experienced heavy rain and speedy winds during the cyclone.

However, no major damage to railway property has been reported after inspections, the official said.

Cyclone Yaas, packing winds of up to 130-145 kmph, whiplashed the country's eastern coasts on Wednesday, dumping heavy rain, damaging houses and farmlands, and leaving at least four persons dead.