Storm and lightning ravages West Bengal, 13 dead

The Indian state of West Bengal has been devastated by severe lightning and torrential rain. At least 13 people have died in lightning strikes in different districts of the state. Many more have been injured. At the same time, the city of Kolkata has been devastated by a strong storm. Numerous trees have been uprooted, vehicles have been damaged and road communication has been disrupted.
Kolkata and its surrounding areas have been feeling unbearable heat since the morning of last Monday (June 22). The sky suddenly turned black as noon approached. Then heavy rain started. There was also frequent lightning. This disaster that lasted for several hours caused extensive damage in different areas of the city.
According to information received from different districts of the state, Malda, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Purulia and North 24 Parganas have suffered the most deaths due to lightning. Many people were struck by lightning while working in the fields, bringing cattle or standing in open areas.
Two people died in a lightning strike in Cooch Behar. Many others were injured. They met with accidents while working in the fields during the monsoon in different areas of the district. The seriously injured have been admitted to local hospitals. Two people died and at least 10 people were injured in a lightning strike in Purulia. The condition of some of the injured is said to be critical. Multiple lightning strikes occurred in different villages of the district at the same time.
One person died in a boat accident on a river in Murshidabad. Several other passengers were injured. The local administration said that an alert had been issued not to travel on the river during the storm. A youth was killed in a lightning strike in Kanchrapara of North 24 Parganas.
Eyewitnesses said that some friends were standing under a tree talking. At that time, a sudden lightning strike seriously injured one person. Later, the doctor declared him dead when he was taken to the hospital. On the other hand, large trees were uprooted in many areas of Kolkata due to the storm. Traffic movement was disrupted in various areas including Dharmatala, Moulali, Dufferin Road and the High Court premises. Several cars parked in the parking lot of the High Court area were severely damaged by falling trees. The impact of the storm was also seen in the Sealdah railway station premises. Several structures were damaged. Temporary power outages also occurred in some areas due to the uprooting of electricity wires. Kolkata Municipal Corporation authorities and disaster management personnel quickly reached the affected areas and started rescue and cleaning work. Efforts are being made to remove trees from the roads and normalize traffic.
The Meteorological Department said that Kolkata was experiencing gusty winds of about 40 kilometers per hour. The wind speed reached 50 kilometers per hour in various districts. Heavy rains continued in North Bengal as well as South Bengal. There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rains, especially in the hilly districts. An alert has been issued in several districts. Fishermen in river and coastal areas have also been advised to move carefully.
According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast, scattered rains and thunderstorms may continue in various districts of West Bengal for the next few days. In this situation, the general public has been warned not to stay in open fields, water bodies and under trees.