Elderly woman dies in Shramik Special train, 2 dead in Nor'wester

Darjeeling: A 51-year-old lady from Dalapchand, Kalimpong died in a Shramik Special Train while travelling from Delhi to her home.

Kipa Sherpa had boarded the train on May 27 at Delhi. When the train was passing through Uttar Pradesh, she fell ill. She was travelling along with her two daughters, son-in-law and granddaughter. The family members called on the helpline. However, before help arrived Sherpa breathed her last before the train reached Etawah Station.

The family along with the deceased were deboarded at Etawah railway station at around 11pm on Wednesday. A post mortem was conducted on Thursday. GTA Chairman Anit Thapa and the District Magistrate, Kalimpong are in touch with their counterparts in Etawah. An ambulance and a vehicle have been provided to bring the family and the body to Siliguri. GTA has announced an exgratia of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. In two different incidents in the Khoribari block two persons died owing to the Nor'wester that hit Kharibari and Phansidewa blocks of the Darjeeling district on Wednesday night. 80-year-old Suku Murmu who was in bed when his house collapsed in the storm, died on the spot. In another incident Akhil Rai was returning home home when an uprooted tree fell on him. He was rushed to the Siliguri Hospital and admitted at the ICU where he breathed his last.

"The state government will extend all necessary help to the bereaved families including ex-grataia," stated Tourism Minister Goutam Deb. On Wednesday, Deb had visited the Nor'wester affected areas in the Jalpaiguri. "Thousands of houses have been damaged. Bamboo groves, Corn, Jute and vegetable cultivation have been badly affected. Work is on a war footing to restore electricity. The district administration is providing relief including dry food, baby food," he said.