Kolkata: At least 10 people were killed and seven other were critical injured after a strong storm lashed throughout the Kolkata city and south West Bengal districts on Saturday, besides affecting flight and train movement.
An officer manning the state police control room told media persons over phone, “Ten persons have died after they were struck by lightning, or due to wall collapse or buried under uprooted trees. Seven others were injured.”
In the city, the seasonal storm-called ‘norwester’ – struck with a wind speed of 50-60 km per hour, bringing down the oppressive mercury level and providing comfort from the energy sapping humidity.
But it also wrecked havoc, felling trees, and disrupting flight movement. Sources in South Eastern Railway and Eastern Railway said commuters were inconvenienced as train speed had to be slowed down due to the heavy winds.
Five persons were injured when a canopy of a marriage venue gave way at Narkeldanga in east Kolkata.
Two others sustained injuries after a branch of a tree fell over them in Laketown in the city’s north eastern fringes.
The norwester triggered rain in various southern districts – East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, Purulia, Birbhum, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
Lighting claimed four lives in Galsi, Ousgram, Purbosthali and Mangalkote of East Bardhaman districts, and three in Jamuria and Salanpur of West Bardhaman districts.
In Purulia town district, a pedestrian died after a tree got uprooted and fell on him.
Two more died in Pandua of Hooghly district.
