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Tornado kills 2, injures 17; damages 100 houses in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj | Watch
A tornado struck villages near Karanjia in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, killing 2, injuring 17, and damaging over 100 homes on Sunday afternoon
Two people were killed while at least were 17 injured, and more than 100 houses were damaged, after a tornado struck multiple villages near Karanjia in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The tornado hit the villages along National Highway (NH)-220 around 4 pm and lasted nearly 30 minutes, leaving a trail of destruction in Kia and Kankada villages in Karanjia block. Nearby Panapasi and Dumuria villages were also affected.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for each of the families of the deceased from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Mayurbhanj District Collector (DC) Hemakanta Soy said.
Officials said strong winds uprooted trees and electric poles, tore off rooftops, and swept vehicles off the road. In one incident, winds lifted an autorickshaw and carried it into a nearby pond. Several motorcycles were also thrown off the road.
Officials said one house was completely blown away while several others suffered severe damage. Residents described scenes of panic as the sudden storm injured many people.
The injured were rescued and admitted to Karanjia Sub-Divisional Hospital.Officials said they were still assessing the number of critically injured.
Sub-collector Karanjia’s Panchpir Kasturi Panda visited the hospital and the affected villages to oversee relief measures. Fire services personnel were clearing debris and assisting residents.
Tornadoes are rare in India but are occasionally reported in states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam, particularly during the pre-monsoon season when unstable atmospheric conditions can trigger violent windstorms. A major tornado in West Bengal in 2009 killed over 100 people.
