At least eight people were killed as a tornado followed by a hail storm wreaked havoc in India's eastern coastal state of Orissa on Tuesday, a news report said.
More than 100 sustained injuries as the tornado left a trail of devastation in 11 villages in the Kendrapara district, some 80 kilometres north-east of the state capital of Bhubaneshwar, the IANS news agency reported.
The death toll was expected to rise, district official RK Das told the news agency. Other local media put the death toll at 20 and the number of injured at over 200.
Winds at an average speed of 200 kilometres per hour swept through the villages, damaging about 300 houses, uprooting electric poles and trees, snapping telephone and electric wires, dpa reported.
The tornado was followed by heavy hail storm and rain in the area.
The state administration formed rescue and relief teams, but the rescuers were not able to reach the affected areas because uprooted trees had blocked roads.