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

Updated on: Mar 15, 2026, 21:37:30 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

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.

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

Odisha

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.