Storm in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam leaves 137 dead, 1 million homeless

[Ronan Kelly]

Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 60 dead


STAFF WRITER 14:12 HRS IST
Raigunj/Purnia/Kishangunj, Apr 14 (PTI) At least 60 people were killed and over two hundred injured when a severe storm with a windspeed of 125 kmph ripped through North Dinajpur district in West Bengal and four neighbouring districts of Bihar.

Thirty-one people were killed and one hundred injured when the storm tore through four blocks of North Dinajpur district at midnight last night, official sources said.

North Dinajpur Additional District Magistrate P K Dutta said 18 deaths occurred in Karandighi block and eight in Raiganj, while three people were also killed at Hemtabad and two others at Kaliaganj.

Over 100 persons who were injured have been hospitalised.

West Bengal Civil Defence Minister Srikumar Mukherjee said that the storm had a windspeed of 125 kmph.

Around 50,000 dwellings were destroyed rendering hundreds of people homeless in the district while the police barracks in Raiganj was razed.
http://ptinews.com/news/609150_Storm-in-West-Bengal-and-Bihar-leaves-60-dead

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 60 dead

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 60 dead

Storm toll rises to 67 in Bihar

]STAFF WRITER 19:56 HRS IST
Patna, Apr 14 (PTI) At least 67 people were killed and scores injured as squally winds caused by low pressure wrought widespread destruction, razing to the ground more than 8,000 dwellings and uprooting hundreds of trees in Bihar's Purnia, Araria, Katihar, Supaul and Kishanganj districts.

Unofficial sources, however, put the death toll at 75.

While 29 deaths were reported from Purnia and 28 from Araria, six died in Katihar and two each in Kishanganj and Supaul, Divisional Commissioner (Purnia) Sudhir Kumar told PTI.

Around 8,000 'kutcha', thatched and 'pucca' houses collapsed in the storm that rendered thousands of people homeless in these districts in Seemanchal belt in Bihar, officials said.
http://ptinews.com/news/609762_Storm-toll-rises-to-67-in-Bihar

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 98 dead

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 98 dead

120 dead as storm hits WB, Bihar, Assam
Raigunj/Kishangunj

Guwahati, April 14
At least 120 persons were killed and over 200 injured when a severe nor?wester packed with a wind speed of 125 kmph raged for 40 minutes through North Dinajpur district in West Bengal, four neighbouring districts of Bihar and five in Assam.

While 39 persons were killed in North Dinajpur, 77 perished in five districts of Kishanganj, Araria, Supaul, Purnia and Katihar in Bihar in the storm that hit at midnight yesterday. At least four persons were killed in Mankachar under Dhubri district of Assam, while the nor'wester also affected Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sibsagar and Kamrup districts of the state, official sources said.

North Dinajpur District Magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty said 17 persons died in Karandighi block, six in Goalpokhor block, seven in Raiganj, while Chakulia and Hemtabad blocks accounted for three deaths each. Two others died in Kaliaganj and one person in Itahar.

In Bihar?s Kishenganj, Araria, Purnia and Supaul districts, 33 persons were killed and 125 injured, official sources said. Regional Meteorological Centre Director GC Debnath confirmed that the storm was a severe nor'wester.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarty, who put the toll at 32, told reporters in Kolkata that the storm levelled 50,000-60,000 dwelling units totally and a few partially.

Tin and thatched roofs were wrenched off and hurled at a distance in villages lining both sides of the National Highway in North Dinajpur. Bamboo groves in an area of over 500 sq ft of a village were completely uprooted as the storm ripped through Kaliaganj, Raiganj, Karandighi and Hemtabad blocks in North Dinajpur, Civil Defence Minister Sreekumar Mukherjee said. Around 50,000 dwellings were destroyed rendering hundreds of people homeless in the district while the police barracks in Raiganj was destroyed, he said.

Chakraborty said the Centre had offered help to the state government. ?I contacted the Cabinet Secretary to brief him. The Centre is willing to assist the state government,? Chakraborty said. He said Rs 5 lakh was disbursed from the calamity relief fund for the affected people.

In Bihar, Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1.50 lakh to next of kin of each of the deceased, besides ordering construction of pucca houses under the Indira Awas Yojana.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100415/main4.htm

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 120 dead

Re: Storm in West Bengal and Bihar leaves 120 dead

More bodies found in Bihar, West Bengal, toll 129

STAFF WRITER 21:52 HRS IST
Patna/Raigunj, Apr 15 (PTI) Complaining of tardy relief, hundreds of people hit by a severe nor'wester in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district squatted on national highway and staged demonstrations even as rescue workers retrieved 9 more bodies as the toll in storm-hit areas of three states climbed to 129.

In North Dinajpur, hundreds of victims blocked national highway at Karandighi, the worst-hit block, for about three hours demanding relief materials and tarpaulin sheets.

They also demonstrated outside a panchayat office at Raniganj in the block protesting late arrival of relief.

Admitting there was resentment among the storm-affected people, the Minister said the administration was doing its best to distribute 50,000 tarpaulins to 50 per cent of the affected by tonight and the situation had returned to normal.
http://ptinews.com/news/611668_More-bodies-found-in-Bihar--West-Bengal--toll-129

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Storm in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam leaves 129 dead

Re: Storm in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam leaves 129 dead

Almost one million people homeless after tornado strikes India 22 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Written by: Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI(AlertNet) - Up to one million people in eastern India are living out in the open after a tornado ripped through impoverished villages, flattening tens of thousands of homes, the United Nations and aid workers said on Thursday.

The nor'wester -- a weather pattern that develops in the Bay of Bengal during the summer -- struck the states of Bihar and West Bengal on April 13, killing 137 people.

The U.N., aid agencies and government officials say more than 200,000 houses have been fully or severely damaged by the storm, which was packing wind speeds of 120 kph (75 mph).

"Most people are living out in the open amidst the wreckage of the their homes," said Amarendra Ghana, programme officer for the Catholic Relief Services in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district.

"We have started distributing shelter kits in both districts which include tarpaulin sheets, plastic mats, rope, matchboxes and candles, but the need is great and much, much more is required."

Aid workers say those impacted are the "poorest of the poor" -- small and landless farmers, whose mud and thatch homes were unable to withstand the force of winds and lashing rains. While state authorities have announced relief packages, aid workers in the field say they have witnessed government distributions in only a few areas.

TRAFFICKING CONCERNS

Seven days after the disaster, health centres are still not functioning and medical assistance remains elusive for many injured villagers, who are suffering from wounds such as cuts and fractures as a result collapsed buildings and uprooted trees.

Water sources such as ponds have been contaminated by the carcasses of livestock -- thousands are estimated to have died -- leading to children bathing in the water contracting skin infections, said aid workers.

According to a report by the U.N. Disaster Management Team, the storm has also destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of mainly maize crop -- worth more than $4 million.

Stored seeds for rice paddy -- due to be planted in June -- have been washed away and this is likely to further compound food insecurity in this already marginalised area, where most households are classed as living below the poverty line.

Trafficking of women and children is common in the area and aid workers say they are concerned that if support is not given, families will be forced to send their children with traffickers.

"Araria district (in Bihar) has a high prevalence of child trafficking in normal times and this is known to increase during disasters," said an assessment by Save the Children.

"Livelihood support ... is vital to mitigate forced migration and potential risks to women and children."
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http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/55867/2010/03/22-183038-1.htm