Crops, houses damaged as storm hits different areas

A college student was killed and a number of houses and vast croplands were damaged as storms lashed Panchagarh and Jhenidah districts on Tuesday.

A college boy died as a big branch of a tree fell on him during a storm at Borai village in Sadar upazila of Jhenidah at night, reports our correspondent.

The victim is Rana Ahmed, 22, a student of Dakbangla Abdur Rauf Degree College, and son of Kamal Hossain of Potahati village.

Police and locals said when Rana and one Shimul Hossain, 15, riding a motorbike were returning home, a big branch of a tree broke down and fell on them during a violent storm around 9:00pm.

Seriously injured Rana and Shimul were rushed to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital where on-duty doctors declared Rana dead.

In Panchagarh, a number of houses and vast croplands were damaged as a storm accompanied with hailstorm hit different villages in the district the same day, reports our Thakurgaon correspondent.

The most affected villages are Jalashi, Bakuakhali, Tunirhat, Chakla, Mirgarh, Dudumari, Molanipara in sadar upazila, Dhonipara, Moidandighi, Sakoya and Mirpara, in Boda upazila and Sathkahmar, Radhanagar, Farkirganj and Torea in Atway upazila.

The storm that started around 9:30pm damaged many houses and different crops including boro paddy, maize, sesame and chili and fruit orchards.

The electricity supply was disrupted as poles were uprooted and electric wires tore at different places due to storm, said the villagers.

Farmer Khatibar Rahman of Jalashipara village in Sadar upazila said his boro paddy on two acres of land was damaged due to the storm accompanied with hailstorm.

Maize plants on his two bighas of land were damaged fully due to the storm, said Nur Islam, a farmer of Moidandighi in Boda upazila.

Engineer of Panchagarh Power Development Board (PDB) Ahsanul Kabir said they were working to restore electricity supply in the area.