Three killed, 1 injured as tent collapses during nor’wester in Odisha’s Keonjhar

According to local officials, strong winds accompanied by rain lashed Naranpur, bringing down a temporary tent structure where workers were present at the time

Published on: May 21, 2026, 21:22:58 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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At least three persons were killed and another was injured when a temporary tent house in which they were resting collapsed during a nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) that hit Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Thursday afternoon, police said.

According to local officials, strong winds accompanied by rain lashed Naranpur, bringing down a temporary tent structure where workers were present at the time. Rescue teams launched operations and pulled out those trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

The deceased were identified as Alok Chipindia, Sagar Nayak and Petu Nayak, all associated with Maa Tarini Tent House, an official said, adding that the injured worker was admitted to a nearby hospital and was reported to be in critical condition.

The official said the victims were working at the site when the sudden storm hit, leaving little time to escape as the structure caved in under the force of gusty winds.

Condoling the deaths, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

This comes barely two months after a tornado battered parts of Mayurbhanj district on March 15, killing at least three persons in Karanjia block and injuring several others. Hundreds of houses were damaged while electricity poles were uprooted.

At least five people were killed in separate lightning and storm-related incidents across Odisha in April as gusty winds and thunderstorms disrupted normal life in districts including Balasore, Bhadrak and Keonjhar. Several areas reported damage to crops, snapped power lines and temporary structures.

Meteorologist Sarat Sahoo said the number of nor’westers has been quite low this season. “Due to lack of enough Nor’westers the state is seeing a major heatwave. Dry, hot winds from the northwest are penetrating interior and western Odisha, pushing temperatures up by 3 to 4 degrees,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Keonjhar District

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