Six dead as rain, thunderstorm disrupt life in Bengal

Kolkata | Six persons were killed and normal life disrupted as rains accompanied by thunderstorm lashed Kolkata and other southern West Bengal districts on Monday, officials said.

A 20-year-old youth died while trying to get down from a jetty at Jhorkhali in South 24 Parganas district, police said.

Another casualty was a 16-year-old girl of Baruipur who was struck by lightning. She was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

In Purulia district, the sudden rainfall spoilt a family’s celebration. Pradeep Tantubai, 45, died and two others were injured as a canopy collapsed over them.

Three deaths were reported from West Midnapore district – two people struck by lightning, and another electrocuted.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata said a squall followed by gusty northwesterly wind occurred for a minute at 3.55 a.m. with speed of 44 kmph, followed by highest gust of 56 kmph at 4.25 a.m.

Various parts of Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and West Midnapore districts reported uprooted trees and electric poles, and damage to shops and other properties.

In Kolkata, arterial rods like Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and Dufferin Road, as also the Maniktala area faced major traffic disruption due to uprooted trees.

The rainfall recorded in the morning was 15.6 mm.

Officials have predicted “thunderstorm with gusty winds and lightning at one or two places in West Bengal” for the next two days.

The state government on Monday asked fishermen not to venture into the deep sea off the Bengal and Odisha coasts and towards the Bangladesh coast due to likelihood of inclement weather on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fishermen in the deep seas have been asked to return to the coast by night.

The maximum recorded temperature in Kolkata was 32.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum 19.4 degrees.

IANS