One killed and 15,000 affected in last night's storm in Bengal

Kolkata, Nov 16 (UNI) One person was killed and about 15,000 people were affected as a storm hit two districts of West Bengal last night before veering off to Bangladesh taking the form of a cyclone.

Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters today that in all 1,151 thatched houses were either destroyed or patially damaged, while crops over 7,500 hectare perished in the calamity in North and South Twentyfour Parganas districts.

" A middle aged person died at Swarup Nagar in North Twentyfour Parganas and in all 14,785 people were affected. The State Government has sanctioned Rs 15 crore for carrying out relief in the two districts, " he said.

While South Twentyfour Parganas was the worst hit district, the Sagar islands, Namkhana, Pathar Pratima and Hingalganj bore the brunt of the storm, he said.

UNI