Bagerhat, Mar 5 (BDNEWS) – At least four people were killed and about 50 others wounded as a tornado swept six villages of Shorankhola upazila of Bagerhat district Saturday night.
Locals said the tornado lasted for over a minute and lashed Khejurbaria, Rekia Rajapur, Dhansagar, Bandhaghata, South Badhal and Savarer Par villages near the Sundarbans about 9pm killing the four people and inflicting huge damage to standing crops and property.
Hundreds of trees were uprooted while standing crops on vast tract of land and about 500 kutcha and semi-pucca houses, schools, madrasas, mosques, mandirs and clubs were damaged by the first tornado of the season.
The dead were identified as Abdul Gani Hawlader (70) of West Rajapur village, madrasa students Russel (15) and his brother Mohidul (10) of Rekia Rajapur, and Jamal (45) of South Badhal.
"All of them died of house or trees collapses," M Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Shoronkhola police station, said quoting the local people.
Most of the injured took treatment locally.
Deputy commissioner M Mainuddin from the spot informed that 500 families were affected by the tornado. "The injured have been given treatment while relief materials were distributed among the affected people," he said.
Sources concerned said that upazila Nirbahi officer Swapan Kumar Baral did not inform the deputy commissioner about the tornado and its damage. The DC went to the spot after being informed by journalists, they said.
The district and police administrations distributed cash money and rice for the affected villagers.
Meanwhile, 10 people were injured when tornado lashed Brittibirela and Chandgarh villages in Dumuria upazila in Khulna Saturday night.
Some 50 houses and standing crops on vast tract of land were also damaged by the tornado, local people said.
BDNEWS/1752 hrs
