Nor'wester strikes: 7 killed, many hurt

At least seven people, including a child and a woman, were killed in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Sylhet, Magura and Jessore, while several others injured as nor'wester swept through different parts of the country yesterday.

The storm coupled with hailstorms also damaged thousands of hectares of croplands and many litchi and mango orchards.

In the afternoon, gusty wind also blew over the capital. 

Sayeed Ali, 55, son of Lal Mohammad of Parbatipur upazila in Dinajpur, was wounded as a large hail fell on him on his way home around 12:30pm, said locals.

He died at Parbatipur Upazila Health Complex around an hour later, said its Resident Medical Officer Raihan Ali, adding that 20 people who were hurt during the storm also took treatment at the hospital.

Besides, two people died after being electrocuted in Gangachara and Badarganj upazilas of Rangpur when live electric wires fell on them, said police.

Their identities could not be known immediately.

In another incident, one-and-a-half-year-old Hasan Ahmed and Sabia Begum, 45, were killed in Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet.

Sabia, of Balaganj upazila, was at her relative's house in Dashal village and died as a tin hit her throat, said Mohammad Shahidullah, officer-in-charge of Osmaninagar Police Station.

Aklu Miah, a member of Umarpur union parishad in Osmaninagar, said Hasan fell into a pond during the storm and drowned.

The nor'wester lashed most of the upazilas of Sylhet, but Osmaninagar was the worst affected.

The storm also damaged a tin-roofed mosque outside Sylhet Divisional Cricket Stadium, injuring five people, said Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, a councillor of Sylhet City Corporation.

In Magura, farmer Akram Hossain, 35, was injured as he was hit by hail while working in a field in Sadar upazila yesterday afternoon. He died on the way to a hospital.

In Jessore, Laijul Islam, 17, died after being electrocuted as a live electric wire fell on him in Abhaynagar upazila, said Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar Police Station.

A nor'easter destroyed the tin-shed mosque the previous night. Photo: Star

The nor'wester hit Sadar, Birganj, Parbatipur and Nawabganj upazilas of Dinajpur and Badarganj, Gangachara and Pirganj upazilas of Rangpur. Many tin-roofed houses were damaged.

Tofazzal Hossain, a senior observer at Dinajpur Met Office, said the nor'wester was the first in the district this year.

Abdul Mazid, of Munshipara village in Parbatipur, said, “I have never seen such a hailstorm in my life.”

A large number of paddy, wheat and maize fields were affected in Gangachara, Badarganj and Pirganj upazilas of Rangpur.

Officials of Department of Agricultural Extension in the district said they were assessing the loss caused by the storm.

In Thakurgaon, hailstorm lashed villages in Ranishankoil, Haripur, Baliadangi and Sadar upazilas, damaging croplands and houses.

In Panchagarh, moderate rain with hailstorm damaged wheat, maize, watermelon, tomato and vegetables fields in Sadar and Boda upazilas. 

In Lalmonirhat, storm hit Patgram, Hatibandha and Aditmari upazilas. The storm also uprooted electric poles, causing power supply disruption for hours.

“Storm has damaged maize and Boro paddy on my eight bighas of land,” said Mazidul Islam, 56, a farmer at Safirhat village in Patgram upazila.

Our correspondents from Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Sylhet, Magura and Benapole contributed to this report.