1,600 newborns arrive landside in Odisha, along with Cyclone Dana

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday, 24 October, said 1,600 of 4,431 pregnant women shifted to health centres due to cyclone Dana have given birth.

The state has evacuated altogether 5,84,888 people, and the number could exceed 600,000 by Friday morning, he said.

"These people are lodging in 6,008 cyclone shelters, where they are being provided with food, medicine, water, and other essential supplies," Majhi said.

The chief minister said Balasore district saw the highest evacuation, with 172,916 people taken to safety, followed by Mayurbhanj with 100,000. Additionally, 75,000 people were evacuated from Bhadrak, 58,000 from Jajpur, and 46,000 from Kendrapara.

He clarified that the state government initially aimed to evacuate 10 lakh people, and the target was adjusted based on the changing trajectory of cyclone Dana.

"We have successfully evacuated all people from high-risk areas," the chief minister said.

Majhi also updated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the state's preparedness, noting that the Centre was satisfied with the measures taken by the Odisha government.

Earlier in the day, a woman evacuated from Cuttack district gave birth to a baby boy at Niali Hospital.

This birth was announced by the state government’s Information and Public Relations (I&PR) department, highlighting that the mother was among the 4,431 pregnant women taken to cyclone shelters.

Both the mother and newborn are in good health, the department said and added, “Authorities ensured the safe delivery of the baby boy at Niali Hospital amid ongoing preparations for cyclone Dana. Evacuated woman Sai Swapna Behera and her newborn are doing well. Disaster response teams are on the ground, providing safety and medical care for all.”