High velocity storms have flattened hundreds of houses, rendered a large number of people homeless and injured at least 12 people in three districts of West Bengal.
In Nadia the storm hit Haringhata area around 11 am today, its SDO Swapan Kumar Kundu said.
The storm flattened about 400 kuchcha houses, uprooted 3,000 trees and 200 electric posts in Kalyani sub-division, Nadia Zilla Parishad member Chanchal Debnath said.
Three persons were injured and residents of storm-hit Dasberia, Sonakura, Uttar Chanda and Dakshin Chanda villages were evacuated to a local school.
Three camps have been erected to arrange meals for people who have lost their houses. The camps will run till Thursday night.
Babyfood was being provided to the infants of the evacuees and fodder to the cattle, he added.
The SDO said officials have rushed to the affected areas and tarpaulins were sent.
In Howrah district, the storm struck Chara Panchla Badamtala village in Panchla area last night. It damaged 80 houses and flattened 20 others rendering over 200 people homeless, district authorities said.
Under the impact of the storm, which was accompanied by heavy rains, tin roofs of some houses were flown almost a km away, and trees and electric poles uprooted, an official of the local panchayat said.
A total nine persons were injured, two of them seriously, he said.
The homeless people have taken shelter in an under-construction hostel and local factories, the panchayat official said, adding, tarpaulin sheets and dry food have been sent to the villages last night. Cooked food is being provided to them today.
Neighbouring North 24 Parganas district too was hit by the storm last night and over 100 huts were damaged in four wards of Habra Municipality, Food Minister and local MLA Jyotipriya Mullick said.
The affected people, whose number was not specified, were sent to relief camps.
Mullick said train services in Sealdah-Bangaon section was affected as uprooted trees fell on tracks during the storm.
There is forecast of strong winds coupled with heavy to very heavy rain tomorrow under the influence of deep depression over north east Bay of Bengal.
