In Odisha, Over 300 Babies Born During Cyclone. Many Of Them Named "Yaas"

The Odisha government had earlier said that as many as 6,500 pregnant women were among the people moved to safer areas before the cyclone.

As the Odisha administration battled Cyclone Yaas, which battered the state, more than 300 births were registered with some families wanting to name their newborns after the menacing storm, officials said. Several of these babies were born on Tuesday night, when the storm was approaching the country's eastern coast. Sonali Maiti, a resident of Balasore, said she couldn't have thought of a better name than Yaas for her baby. Similarly, Saraswati Bairagi, from Kendrapara said, she named her baby girl after the storm, as that way everyone would remember the time of her arrival. "I am extremely happy about the fact that my child came to the world on a day that would be remembered by one and all. I have named her Yaas,'' Bairagi added. Similar reports came from other parts of the state about parents naming their babies after the cyclone, officials said. Cyclone Yaas got its name from Oman. The name is said to have originated from a Persian word, which means Jasmine.