BHUBANESHAWAR. India. Nov 10: The death toll in India s cyclone-ravaged Orissa state has more than doubled to 7.474. a state government official told Reuters today.

"The death toll has risen to 7.474 with 6,383 deaths reported from Jagatsinghpur district.” an official in the state's cyclone-relief control room said. The toll had been hovering around 3.500 for the past few days but more bodies are being recovered as flood waters recede.

"As water levels are receding more and more bodies have been found." the official said. Hundreds of badly decomposed bodies and animal carcasses still floated in the waters in Paradip port town and adjoining regions.

The storm, which struck the eastern state on October 29 and 30 with wind gusts up to 300 kilometres per hour, left millions homeless and flooded vast areas of the state.

Nearly two weeks after the cyclone, relief helicopters have been able to land in some of the marooned regions for the first time to distribute food, medicines and also airlift some people.

Officials said the number of people In hospitals suffering from diarrhoea was 1.919 and 27 had died from gastro-enteri-tis. But rescue workers said the numbers of those ill or dead were "much, much more."