At least eight people died yesterday after a tropical cyclone tore through eastern India.

Rescue workers and soldiers cleared uprooted trees and electrical poles from roads after Cyclone Hudhud destroyed around 50,000 thatched huts belonging to poor tribal people in the Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Orissa state, said state special relief commissioner PK Mahapatra.

Eight people had died as of yesterday, five in Andhra Pradesh state and three in Orissa state, mostly because of injuries from collapsed walls and falling trees, officials said.

At least 400,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas of the two states and hundreds of shelters were set up to house them, helping to reduce casualties.

Meanwhile, a huge tropical storm was expected to reach Tokyo this morning.

A typhoon-strength Vongfong hit Kyushu and Okinawa islands yesterday, injuring at least 37 and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee.