(CNN) The strongest tropical cyclone to hit India in 20 years made landfall Friday, killing seven people and lashing the country's east coast with ferocious winds and torrential downpours. Tropical Cyclone Fani struck near the city of Puri , in Odisha state, as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane -- packing sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour). The seven people who died in Odisha were killed by falling trees and collapsed walls, police spokesman Sanjeev Panda said. Fani made landfall as the strongest cyclone to hit the region since a 1999 storm killed at least 10,000 people. Eleven districts along the Odisha coast were placed on red alert, and some 900 cyclone shelters were set up to house evacuees.

Source: CNN May 03, 2019 08:37 UTC