4 Dead, Several Injured As Season’s First Norwester Wreaks Havoc in Jalpaiguri, Bengal

At least four dead and many injured after a sudden norwester had hit several parts of Jalpaiguri district in the Northern part of West Bengal on Sunday afternoon. Videos that later went viral showed how a monstrous whirlwind coupled with heavy rainfall lashed out on the surface, wreaking havoc. 

State government of Mamata Banerjee has already announced compensation for the victim families, administration instructed to reach out help to the affected areas at the earliest. Expressing grief over the loss of human lives, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on ‘X’ stating that “District and block administration, police, DMG and QRT teams swung into disaster management operations and provide relief. Affected people are being shifted to safer places”. She further added that “…District administration will provide compensation to next of kin in the case of the deaths, and the injured as per rules and following the MCC”. Mamata Banerjee on an urgent basis has decided to reach Jalpaiguri on Sunday night itself to take stock of the situation. 

Over hundred people have sustained injures after the storm had ravaged several houses in Jalpaiguri and Mainaguri areas. Tin shaded roofs of houses were uprooted, concrete walls of buildings collapses and trees were uprooted and thrown scattered as the season’s first norwester passed through human habits. The injured have been rushed to hospitals for treatment. Power supply has been cutoff in several areas as trees have taken down electric wires and poles. The worst affected areas are Rajarhat, Barnish, Bakali, Jorpakri, Madhavdanga villages in Mainaguri. The rescue and relief operations are on, the death toll is feared to go up.