6 die as Cyclone Remal ravages parts of Bengal

 

 

CYCLONE Remal claimed six lives in West Bengal and inflicted substantial damage to infrastructure and property in the State’s coastal regions, officials said on Monday. A man died of his injuries when a wall collapsed due to relentless downpour on Sunday evening at Bibir Bagan in Central Kolkata, a State Disaster Management official said. An elderly woman from Mousuni Island near Namkhana, situated adjacent to the Sundarbans delta, succumbed to her injuries on Monday morning after a tree fell on her hut, leading to the collapse of the roof. Two more women, one a resident of Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas and another from Panihati in North 24 Parganas, also lost their lives as a result of the calamity. In Purba Bardhaman district’s Memari, a father and son died from electrocution, officials said. Several people were injured in various parts of the State after being hit by debris.

 

The State Government evacuated over two lakh people to relief camps and cyclone shelters. According to a communication by the State Government, more than 1,700 electric poles were damaged and many trees were uprooted by the cyclone. More than 2,500 houses have been completely damaged, whereas 27,000 houses have been partially damaged. “More than 1,400 relief camps are presently operational in the affected districts,” the Government said. While several pockets of Kolkata remained waterlogged, suburban train services from Sealdah resumed late in the afternoon. After tearing through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction, with pictures of devastation emerging across the State’s coastal areas, showing extensive damage to infrastructure and property soon after daybreak on Monday. The State Government has initiated relief operations, providing food, drinking water, and medical assistance to the affected people. The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the State and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the South-West of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday and lasted for a good four hours. Weathermen have forecast more rain in Kolkata and the southern districts, including Nadia and Murshidabad, with one or two spells of intense downpours, along with gusty surface winds till on Tuesday morning.

 

Relief materials, including dry food and tarpaulins, have been dispatched to the coastal areas, and quick response teams comprising trained civil defence volunteers with equipped vehicles are in place, officials said. 48 polling stations in Bengal damaged by Cyclone Remal: Official”; IN ALL, 48 polling stations, mostly located in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, were damaged due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, a senior poll official said on Monday. The disaster also adversely affected preparations for the upcoming seventh and final phase of polling scheduled on June 1, he added. heavy Rain lashes Tripura, 11 flights cancelled: Heavy rain lashed Tripura on Monday under the influence of cyclonic storm Remal while 11 flights were cancelled from Agartala airport due to bad weather, officials said. IMD had issued a red alert in two districts – Sepahijala and Gumati – and an orange alert in the remaining six districts in view of the possible impact of cyclone Remal, they said.

 

“Tripura received average rainfall of 40.73 mm on Monday with West Tripura district recording the highest of 59.50 mm. There is no report of any substantial damage or loss of life from any district except uprooting of trees and blockade of roads,” said an official of the Revenue department. "Altogether 11 flights to and from MBB Airport here have been cancelled on Monday due to cyclone Remal. One Agartala-Delhi flight was diverted to Guwahati airport because the wind speed was more than the normal range," MBB airport director K C Meena told PTI. “The NFR had cancelled a few trains for Monday and Tuesday on account of the cyclonic storm but today (Monday) it restored all its service taking into account of overall improvement in the situation,” said a Transport department official.