Cyclone Dana: ASHA worker carries elderly woman on her back to shelter home. Watch

Sibani Mandal, an ASHA worker, received widespread praise for carrying an elderly woman on her back to a cyclone shelter ahead of the storm.

In Short

• ASHA worker praised for carrying elderly woman to safety in Odisha
• Video of Sibani Mandal's act shared widely on social media
• Cyclone Dana caused heavy rain and winds in Odisha, West Bengal

As Cyclone Dana made landfall on Friday in Odisha's coastal districts, a heartwarming story from Khasmunda village in Kendrapada has captured the internet's attention. Sibani Mandal, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker, received widespread praise for carrying an elderly woman on her back to a cyclone shelter ahead of the storm.

The official PIB account in Odisha shared a 22-second video on X, which showed Mandal navigating a muddy path with the elderly woman securely on her back, exemplifying the spirit of community and compassion in the face of adversity.

“Hats off to our #Narishakti! ASHA worker Sibani Mandal from Khasmunda village of Rajnagar Block in #Kendrapara,#Odisha evacuated an elderly woman, carrying on her shoulder to a #Cyclone shelter,” the post said.

Watch the video here:

Social media users demanded that Mandal should be rewarded for her selfless act.

Cyclone Dana, a severe storm that made landfall on Friday, brought extremely heavy rain and fierce winds across Odisha and into parts of West Bengal.

The landfall process was completed without any major damages, and the 'zero casualty' mission was successful, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said.

Meanwhile, flight operations at Kolkata and Bhubaneswar airports have resumed after the cyclone's landfall. Both airports were closed from Thursday evening to Friday morning. The weather department said that Cyclone Dana will remain a severe cyclonic storm but is expected to gradually weaken on Friday as it moves further into Odisha, bringing heavy rain to most areas.