Malda: The Malda district administration distributed an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each to the 11 bereaved families who lost their family members in a sudden thunderstorm in Malda on Thursday afternoon.
Nitin Singhania, District Magistrate Malda, visited two bereaved families to hand over the cheques and exchanged words with the family members of the deceased ones. The families will also get Rs 2,000 each under ‘Somobyathi Scheme’ to perform the last rites. At least 11 persons of the district, mainly working in either mango orchards or agricultural fields, died from a sudden lightning strike on Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday night, on the direction from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the arrangements for the post-mortem of the bodies was supervised by Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, chairman of English Bazar Municipality in the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH). The district officials, including the DM and SP with other police officials, were also present there.
Seven bodies were despatched to their villages after an autopsy on Thursday night while the remaining four were sent on Friday. Choudhury said: “Being directed by the Chief Minister and Abhishek Banerjee, I reached MMCH and stood by the family members who lost their near and dear ones to the natural calamity. These people are financially very weak and we helped them with some funds from the party also. The scene there was very pathetic with people breaking down having lost their near and dear ones.” Sabina Yeasmin, minister of state for North Bengal Development department returned from Kolkata immediately to visit the families on Friday morning.
She went to Ward 7 of Old Malda Municipality where a student died on Thursday and later to Gazole.
A weeping Chunia Roy of Kushida, Harishchandrapur who lost her son and daughter in law, said: “They have been married for only 3 months and now they both have left me. They were working in the field as we are very poor and to my ill fate they fell prey to lightning.” Nitin Singhania said: “I visited two places to hand over the cheques and our ADMs are visiting other places. The incident is very sad and the district administration is with the bereaved families.”
The Indian Meteorology Department, has forecasted thunderstorms on May 19 and 20 with lightning and gusty winds in Malda.