Pakistan saddened by devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan in India, Bangladesh

Pakistan has expressed sorrow over the deaths and widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan in India and Bangladesh.

The two countries have lost at least 102 people in the cyclone, the most powerful in over a decade, mostly because of house collapses and electrocution.

"We extend sympathies and condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and pray for speedy recovery of the affected regions," Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a statement issued on Saturday.

More than 3 million people were evacuated before Amphan made landfall, preventing a large number of deaths.



A powerful cyclone that tore through India’s eastern state of West Bengal this week has caused a damage of 1 trillion rupees ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops, state officials said.

The cyclone has affected more than 13 million people - some losing houses, crops and lands - and over 1.5 million houses have been damaged, two West Bengal government officials told Reuters.

Neighbouring Bangladesh, which also fell in Cyclone Amphan’s path on Wednesday, initially said it had suffered a loss of 11 billion taka ($130 million). But this could rise, government officials said.

(With additional input from Reuters)