Nor’westers kill 9 in Rajshahi [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Nor’westers kill 9 in Rajshahi

Local May 03, 2017

At least nine people were killed in Rajshahi as a nor’wester lashed nine upazilas of the district and a boat capsized in River Padma in the city on Monday and Sunday.
Early Monday’s nor’wester also doubled the sufferings of people in the haor region, especially in Sunamganj, the worst flash flood-hit district, as thousands of houses were destroyed, trees of the areas were uprooted and standing crops were damaged.
A nor’wester also caused prolonged power cuts in half of the country as power grids tripped failed Monday night.
People in four divisions—Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal— experienced the prolonged power cuts after Ishwardi-Ghorashal transmission line tripped as a tower was affected by nor’wester at about 9:00pm on Monday, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh managing director Masum-Al-Beruni told New Age.
The power supply to the areas was completely shut down at about 11:20am on Tuesday as Ashuganj-Sirajganj transmission line tripped before the restoration of Ishwardi-Ghorashal grid line, he said.
At the same time, import of 540MW power from India’s western grid through Bheramara substation also stopped, according to a report of power grid company.
New Age correspondent in Rajshahi reported that four people were killed and over 100 houses were damaged at nine upazilas on Monday and the bodies of five other people, who remained missing as a boat capsized in the River Padma at Dorgapara point in the city during a nor’wester on Sunday, were recovered on Tuesday.
The four deceased of Monday’s nor’wester were Faridul Islam, 48, of Sapura area and Munsur Rahman, 40, of Belghoaria in Rajshahi city, Achhia Begum, 45, wife of Ansar Ali of Shyampur village under Charghat upazila, and Alam Ali Munshi, 50, of Kalabagan area under Godagari upazila in Rajshahi.
Rajshahi Medical College Hospital ward master Mosharraf Hossain said that Achhia, Munsur and Faridul died at the hospital.
Achhia suffered injuries as a tree branch fell on her while Munsur sustained injuries after he fell on the road while running during the storm and Faridul was struck by a thunderbolt, he said.
Godagari police station officer-in-charge Hifzul Alam Munshi said that Alam was injured as a tree branch collapsed on his head during the storm. He later died at the upazila health complex.
Besides, the storm damaged crops on a vast land and uprooted trees in the nine upazilas.
The dead in the boat capsize during Sunday night’s nor’wester were boatmen Rafiqul Islam, 45, and Robin, 28, and passengers Asadul, 45, and Jamia Islami Shahmukhdum Madrasa students Tamim, 9, and Abdul Ahad, 9. All of them were residents of Dargapara in Rajshahi city.
Rajshahi fire service and civil defence headquarters senior station officer Farhad Hossain said that the bodies were recovered at about 6:30am on Tuesday and handed over to Boalia and Motihar police stations as the bodies were found under those police stations.
New Age staff correspondent in Sylhet reported that worst flash flood-hit district Sunamganj was messed up once again as a nor’wester lashed the district early Monday, adding a fresh burden to the flood-affected famers.
The storm also sank a boat loaded with 18,000kg rice meant for distribution among the ultra-poor farmers under the vulnerable group feeding programme in the Surma River, said district food controller Abdur Rauf.
More than 5,000 thatched, corrugated iron sheet-roofed and brick-built houses, including mosques and educational institutions, at sadar, Dakkhin Sunamganj, Bishwambharpur, Tahirpur, Chhatak and Doarabazar upazilas in the district were collapsed in the nor’wester that uprooted several thousand trees, local people and officials said.
Shripur Dakkhin union parishad chairman Bishwajit Sarker under Tahirpur upazila said that about 1,500 houses were destroyed fully or partially and 2,000 trees were uprooted by the nor’wester at his union.
‘Flash flood has taken away their crops and the nor’wester has taken away their shelters,’ he said.
Chhatak upazila chairman Abul Kalam Chowdhury said that more than 1,500 houses were destroyed by nor’wester at places of the upazila.
Monday’s storm damaged about 2,000 thatched and corrugated iron sheet-roofed houses and uprooted several thousand trees at Pandargaon, Mannargoan, Dohalia, Bagula, Banglabazar, Surma and sadar union of Doarabazar upazila, upazila chairman Idris Ali Bir-Pratik said.
Sunamganj deputy commissioner Sheikh Rafiqul Islam said that the upazila nirbahi officers were asked to prepare lists of victims and to provide them with instant supports.