The building of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, suffered extensive damage on Friday from extremely strong winds of Cyclone Fani as it made landfall in Odisha.

Quoting Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, Sitanshu Kar, the Principal Spokesperson, Government of India, tweeted: “Extensive damage to structure of AIIMS Bhubaneswar reported due to #CycloneFani. All patients, staff, students safe. Many water tanks have blown off, lighting poles are down, air conditioners damaged. We  have enough supplies, ready to support the state.”

“Extensive damage to structure of AIIMS Bhubaneswar reported due to #CycloneFani . All patients,staff, students safe.Many water tanks have blown off,lighting poles are down, airconditioners damaged. We have enough supplies, ready to support the state” – Health Secy Preeti Sudan pic.twitter.com/Me1WHqZimY

— Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) May 3, 2019

In a video posted by Kar, strong winds are seen battering the AIIMS premises in the Odisha capital. Uprooted trees can be seen on the streets.

Cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha at speeds of 200 km per hour, also blew away the cover on the undergraduate hostel at AIIMS.

Video clip of a roof being blown off at the undergraduate hostel in AIIMS Bhubaneshwar due to #CycloneFani #Fani #FaniCyclone #FaniUpdates pic.twitter.com/97c5ELQJ46

— Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) May 3, 2019

According to Sudan, AIIMS New Delhi cancelled the scheduled AIIMS PG exam for students in Bhubaneswar.

“Due to cyclone Fani, AIIMS Delhi is cancelling the exam centre in Bhubaneswar. Another exam will be conducted for students affected by this cancellation as soon as normalcy returns,” Kar quoted Sudan as saying.

AIIMS PG exam is scheduled on 5 May.

AIIMS PG exam is scheduled on 5th May. Due to cyclone Fani, AIIMS Delhi is cancelling the exam centre in Bhubaneswar. Another exam will be conducted for students affected by this cancellation as soon as normalcy returns : H & FW Secretary Preeti Sudan

— Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) May 3, 2019

Meanwhile, police and other rescue officials were seen clearing roads and assisting those stranded as Cyclone Fani hurtled through the coastal regions of the state moving steadily inwards.

Police in Cuttack and members of the ODRAF unit were seen removing branches of uprooted trees off the roads.

In Kendrapara, police officers were seen guiding women, children, and other locals to safety. Elsewhere in Jagatsinghpur, people were seen using mechanical saws to clear the blockade caused by fallen trees.

Large areas in Puri and other places have been submerged with water as heavy rains battered the entire coastal belt of the state.

Cyclone Fani made landfall on the Odisha coast on Friday morning much before the previous forecast.

Two people have been reportedly killed in cyclone-triggered incidents.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the eye of Fani is almost 25 km in diameter and is sending off wind velocity of 150 to 175 km per hour and even above at some places touching 180 or more.

Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued an advance order to cancel all flights to and from Kolkata between 9.30 pm on May 3 and 6 pm on May 4.

The DGCA has already cancelled for 24 hours starting May 3 midnight all flights to and from Bhubaneswar in view of the Cyclone Fani threat over the Bay of Bengal.

Airports Authority of India revised the closure timing of Kolkata Airport as from 3:00 pm today to 8:00 am on Saturday (IST).

Indian Railways has cancelled 223 trains in the Bhadrak-Vizianagaram section, along the coastal lines of Odisha on the Kolkata-Chennai route till May 4, officials said.