Cyclone in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee forced to cut short London visit

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is cutting short her London visit in view of the cyclonic storm which lashed parts of three districts in the state since last night.

"I am taking the night flight back from London because of impending cyclone," Banerjee tweeted.

"Have spoken to Home secretary. Taking all precautions," she said.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, a member of her delegation, also told a TV channel from London that Banerjee was cutting short her visit and flying back tonight along with some members of her delegation.

O'Brien, who is also coming back with her, however said that she would attend two scheduled meetings in London before her departure.

Over 200 houses were damaged, scores of people rendered homeless and nine persons injured as storms lashed pockets of three districts of West Bengal since last night, reports from the districts said today.

While around 100 houses were damaged in Howrah district, as many huts were affected in North 24-Parganas district last night while an unspecified number of kutcha houses damaged in Nadia district in the storm this morning.

The Chief Minister was scheduled to return to the city on July 31.