LEAD: Death toll in India cyclone tops 50

Dec 31, 2011, 14:52 GMT

New Delhi - Cyclone Thane, battering India's southern coast, has killed 53 including a French national, local media reported Saturday, while meteorologists said the storm had weakened.

The cyclone, which made landfall between Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu state and the federally administered territory of Pondicherry on Friday, dumped heavy rains in the region and was accompanied by winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour.

The Indian Meteorological Department said Thane had moved westwards to Kerala state, also in the south, and weakened into a 'low pressure area,' but heavy rains could still be expected in some areas.

The death toll in Tamil Nadu had climbed to 42, the NDTV network reported, quoting state chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing houses and trees, or electrocution by downed wires.

Seven people were killed in neighbouring Pondicherry, a former French colony popular among tourists. Among the victims was a French national, the French foreign ministry said.

Four died in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram, the IANS news agency reported.

'France expresses its profound solidarity with the authorities and people of India in the wake of cyclone Thane,' a statement said on the French foreign ministry website.

It also advised French citizens planning to travel to the area for the New Year to defer their plans for a few days.

Life was limping back to normal Saturday in Cuddalore, which bore the brunt of the storm with more than 21 deaths.

Parts of Cuddalore district looked battered, with hundreds of uprooted trees and posts strewn across roads. More than 20,000 homeless were moved to cyclone shelters, NDTV reported.

As most shops were shut, essential items like milk were scarce and local agencies provided potable water through tankers. Authorities were working to restore telephone lines and power supplies, while rail and air services started up again.

'Major roads are being cleared of uprooted trees and traffic is being resumed,' Cuddalore deputy police chief S Vanitha told IANS. 'People are returning to their homes or going back to homes of their relatives from relief camps.'

The fierce storm flooded large areas, uprooted trees and power lines, disrupted transportation and damaged crops.

Cyclones frequently form over the Bay of Bengal, bringing widespread destruction and flooding to India's southern and eastern coasts. In 1999, a supercyclone hit the eastern state of Orissa, killing 10,000 people and leaving 15 million homeless.