11 people killed in nor'wester

At least 11 people were killed as different establishments including houses and schools were damaged during nor'wester in three districts in last 60 hours since Sunday evening.

Of the deceased, five including two children drowned in the Padma river in Rajshahi during the nor'wester on Sunday evening. Police recovered their bodies yesterday morning.

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Three persons including two women were killed in Chapainawabganj and another was killed in Sirajganj on Monday.

The nor'wester lashed 11 villages in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on Monday night, uprooting several hundred trees and damaging houses to the ground.

In Rajshahi, Tamim Iqbal, 10, and Robin, 30, of Dargapara, Abdul Ahad, 10, of Nachol, Rafiqul Islam, 45, and Asadul Islam of Bagha upazila died as their boat capsized in the river.

Shahadat Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge of Boalia police, said the boat carried seven people, two of whom managed to swim ashore.

Local Met office sources said houses were damaged and trees uprooted as the nor'wester with the speed up to 95km per hour swept over the district and other areas for five minutes from 7:00pm on Sunday.

Asia Khatun, 55, of Charghat upazila died of heart attack when a thunderbolt struck during the storm, said Charghat police quoting her family members.

Alam Ali, 50, of Godagari upazila was killed when a tree branch fell on him the same evening, said OC Hifjur Alam Munshi of Godagari police.

In Chapainawabganj, the victims are identified as Masuma Begum, 26, of Airmari village, Chhobi Begum, 30, of Chak Doulatpur village under Shibganj and Asabul Haque, 50, of Nimtala-Kanthal village under Gomostapur upazila.

OC Habibul Islam of Shibganj police said Masuma and Chhobi were collecting mangoes at mango orchards near their houses when lightening killed them on the spot.

Asabul was killed when a tree branch fell on him at Nimtala-Kanthal village during the storm when he was returning home, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Firoz Ahmed of Gomostapur.

The UNO added the storm damaged more than 50 houses, agricultural land and uprooted 50 trees in the upazila. They were preparing a list to assess the loss.

In Sirajganj, lightening killed farmer Tufan Ali Talukder, 30, of Raiganj, when he was returning home from the field on Monday afternoon.

Md Jillur Rahman, chairman of Ghurka Union Parishad under Raiganj upazila, said Tufan died on the spot.

In Mymensingh, storm uprooted hundreds of tress and razed houses at 11 villages including Hobirbari, Chhoto Kashor, Boro Kashor, Gouripur, Paragoan, Awlatoli, Kachina and Mollickbari areas, said locals and upazila administration.

Tofael Ahmed Bachchu, chairman of Hobirbari Union Parishad, said he visited the affected areas and witnessed the damages.

Morarjee Deshai Barman, upazila nirbahi officer of Bhaluka, said he along with Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Saiful Azam Khan visited the affected areas and found many houses damaged in the storm.

Some education institutions were also affected in the storm, said the UNO, adding, they were assessing the loss.

Bhaluka Upazila Agriculture Officer Saiful Azam Khan said Boro crops on some 60 hectares of land were also damaged in the storm.

[Our Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Pabna and Mymensingh correspondents contributed to this report]