51 booths critical
The East Burdwan district election authorities have declared 51 booths of Khandaghosh block as critical today.
A shepherd and two farmers were killed by lightning while roofs of houses were sent flying, a running car was flung from a bridge, electric poles and trees were uprooted by strong winds in a storm that struck two blocks in East Burdwan and one in adjacent Hooghly district on Sunday morning. The sudden storm ravaged a number of localities in Jamalpur block here this morning around 6:00 today. In the localities of Shiali, Satgoria, Amanpur and Kora, nearly 40 residential houses were destroyed.
At Amarpur, a four wheeler crossing a temporary bridge on the Damodar river was thrown into the river by the thrust of the wind, leaving two passengers injured. The East Burdwan district administration reacted swiftly to the catastrophe and the quick response team headed by the BDO, Jamalpur, Parthasarathi De, rushed to the affected localities and expedited rescue and relief operations. Mr De said the affected families have been shifted to shelter. In neighbouring Memari block, a shepherd, Vim Kar (51) was struck by lightning and died instantly at Suryanagar camp area during the storm.
Police said he had taken his animals to the grazing field outside the village when the storm struck. Two farmers, Ramchandra Lohar (54) of Painta village in Madhabdihi and Lakhhan Mali (34) at Jamalpur in Tarakeswar in neighbouring Hooghly district after being struck by lightning.
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At Srirampur gram panchayat in Pursura in Arambagh Sub-Division of Hooghly, a local Anand Pruyi died after he came in contact with a live electric wire that snapped during the nor’wester while two others were injured. The locals infuriated over the late arrival of electric supply workers blocked the road. Police later lifted the road block and sent the body of the deceased for postmortem.
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