December 17, 2003	Wednesday	Shawwal 22, 1424

HYDERABAD (India) Dec 16: Nine people were killed and thousands were evacuated from India’s southeast coast on Tuesday as a cyclone hit shore, uprooting trees and snapping power and telephones lines.

The storm hit the state of Andhra Pradesh just after midnight, bringing heavy rain and winds reaching speeds of 120 kph, officials said.

Relief Commissioner Ashutosh Mishra said about 13,000 people had been moved out of the coastal districts of Guntur and Krishna which bore the brunt of the storm.—Reuters