Cyclonic storm toll rises to 4

The toll in the devastating cyclonic storm in West Bengal's Malda district rose to four as two more persons succumbed to their injuries on Sunday.

District Magistrate Tanmoy Chakraborty said the two, one of them a one-and-half year baby, died at the Malda Medical College and Hospital here.

While the baby hailed from Habibpur, the other — a nonagenarian was from Bamongola in the district, he said.

Two men had died due to collapse of mud walls during the storm on Saturday at Gazole and Chanchal 2 block.

A number of other people were injured, Chakraborty said adding the proposal for ex-gratia to the victims was being sent to the state government.

Around 1,000 houses have been totally damaged and another 10,000 partly damaged in the calamity, which also devastated about 1,000 hectares of maize, 5,000 hectares of wheat, 1,500 hectares of potato, 4,250 hectares of boro paddy, 200 hectares of vegetables and 30 acres of horticultural crop, Chakraborty had said on Saturday.

A local resident of Rotua said: "We are farmers. We have to wake up early in the morning. On Saturday, it was dark and cloudy. Suddenly, whirlwinds started to roll in and the entire locality was destroyed within minutes."