2 killed, several injured as thunderstorm hits Bengal

As the Alipore Meteorological Office predicted, a thunderstorm hit the city and some parts of the district accompanied by heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon which killed at least two people in the state. 

The city was sunny since morning but in the afternoon the sky was covered with dark cloud. A storm measuring around 50-60 km per hour accompanied with rain lashed the city and various other districts as well. Train services in some parts of Howrah and Sealdah division were affected due to storm. 

A 27-year-old youth Seikh Raju died after a tree branch fell on him when he was standing beneath a tree to protect himself from rain.  The incident took place at Suri in Birbhum. When it started raining the victim had taken shelter under a tree on the National Highway 34. 

Raju was seriously injured in the incident and he later died after being taken to a hospital. 

In another incident one person whose identity is yet to be ascertained by the police died after being struck by lightning at Canning in South 24-Parganas. 

Local train services of Howrah and Sealdah Divisions were affected due to sudden storm and rain. 

In Howrah division, lot of foreign materials including plastic packets entangled with the overhead wire and tripped the power supply between Uttarpara and Hindmotor stations. 

Besides, tree branches also fell on overhead equipment near Hindmotor station and power supply cut-off in the main line from 2.28 pm to 4.32 pm. As a result, 4 EMU trains were delayed.

Also in Sealdah division, plastic packets and other foreign materials entangled with the overhead wire due to storm and disrupted power supply from 2.45 pm to 3.30 pm in Dum Dum–Baranagar section. Tree branches also fell on overhead wire near B.B.D. Bag station on Circular Railway and power supply cut-off from 2.55 pm to 4.40 pm. The train services resumed in all sections later. 

Many other people were injured when the storm hit the city and the districts. Due to continuous rain a portion of under construction building on Bhukailash road in Ekbalpore collapsed injuring two persons, while South Tangra road in Topsia two others were injured when an iron gate of an under construction building fell on them. Many cars which were parked under trees at Salt Lake sector V were damaged when some of their branches fell on them.   

According to report, trees were uprooted at many areas. Crops and mango gardens were damaged in Malda. In Shalimar, a tree fell on a bus, while at Barasat a truck was damaged when a tree fell on it. No one was injured in the incidents. 

The Met office has predicted that the North Bengal districts like Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, North and South Dinajpur may witness thunder storm coupled with rain till Friday.