Storm claims 14 lives in West Bengal

A severe storm kills fourteen people, damaging large number of mud houses and uprooting trees in West Bengal.

Fourteen people were killed, large number of mud houses damaged and trees were uprooted in the severe storm which hit West Bengal's South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore district, officials said on Wednesday.

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South 24 Parganas District Magistrate Roshni Sen said that 13 persons were killed in wall and house collapse at Mathurapur, Raidighi, Mograhat, Joynagar and Pultali area during the storm which hit the district late on Tuesday night.

One person was killed in wall collapse at Birulia village under Nandigram Block II of East Midnapore district, officials said.

A boat carrying seven persons capsized in the Hooghly river at Nayachara in East Midnapore district during the storm but all the persons swam to safety, District Magistrate Anup Agarwal said.

Large number of trees, electricity and telephone poles were uprooted during the storm in the two districts; sources said adding many roads were blocked by the fallen trees.

Many areas of the two districts were without electricity, they said.

Large number of mud houses were damaged and crops suffered extensive damage in the storm, officials added.