Cyclone Phailin Kills 17 in India

India was today beginning to sort through miles of wreckage after the Cyclone Phailin roared ashore, flooding towns and villages and destroying tens of thousands of homes.
But more than 20 hours after the strongest storm to hit India in more than a decade made landfall in eastern Orissa state, officials said they knew of only 17 fatalities - far less than many feared.
Most of the deaths came from falling branches or collapsing buildings in the rains ahead of the 125 mph cyclone, but it initially appears that the evacuation of almost 1million people saved many lives.