Nor'wester hits city, nearby areas; 6 killed

At least six persons were killed as a nor'wester accompanied with sharp showers lashed the city and other parts of West Bengal early Monday, uprooting trees and snapping cables.

According to the Met department, a 44-km-per-hour gale hit Kolkata and its nearby areas at 3.55 am, followed by another gust, with a speed of 56 km per hour at 4.25 am.

During this period, the city received 15.6mm rainfall.

The minimum temperature recorded was 16.8 degrees Celsius, three notches below average, the department said.

Three persons two from West Midnapore and one from South 24 Parganas district were killed after they were struck by lightning, an official of the disaster management department said.

 

One person died of electrocution in West Midnapore district while another drowned in South 24 Parganas district, the official added.

A resident of Purulia district was killed after falling from the terrace of a building, he stated.

Normal life was partially thrown out of gear on the first working day of the week, as trees fell on the roads, disrupting traffic movement.

School children and office-goers had a tough time commuting on the thoroughfares, an official said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Disaster Management Group, along with the city police, worked on a "war-footing" to clear the trees and the cables, he said.

"Trees have fallen at 25 places in the city, partly blocking some thoroughfares, including Rashbehari Avenue Connector, Casurina Avenue, Southern Avenue and at Shyambazar. All blockades have now been cleared and normal traffic restored," he added.

A total of five cars were damaged after trees fell on them on Rashbehari Avenue.

Nor'westers were also reported from different parts of south Bengal, leading to damage of hutments and electric poles in some areas, official sources said.

The weatherman said Sunday that moderate rain with gusty wind will occur in different parts of West Bengal till Thursday morning owing to the formation of a western disturbance over Chattishgarh and Jharkhand.