Bihar storm: Rajnath conducts aerial survey

Purnia (Bihar), Apr 24: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today conducted an aerial survey of storm-hit districts of Bihar and took stock of the situation as death toll in the Tuesday's killer Nor'wester mounted to 55.

"The Centre is fully behind the state government in this hour of crisis. We will provide all necessary help to the state government," Singh said.

Accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Radha Mohan Singh and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Singh assessed the damage caused by the storm in worst-hit Purnia, Madhepura and Katihar districts.

The Home Minister also held a meeting with top state government officials. As per the latest report compiled by the state Disaster Management department, Purnea bore the maximum brunt of the Nor'wester with a maximum of 38 deaths.

While seven persons lost their lives in Madhepura, three died in Madhubani, two each in Katihar, Sitamarhi and Darbhanga and one in Supual, the report said.

PTI