Hailstorm kills one, injure 21, damage 800 houses in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (UNI) One person was killed and 21 were injured while power supply and telecommunication network disrupted as Yesterday's hailstorm wreaked havoc in Coastal Orissa, damaging 800 houses in Jagatsinghpur, Khurda and Kendrapara districts.

Making a statement in the Orissa Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Manmohan Samal said while Collector of Khurda was asked to provide Rs one lakh to the family members of the deceased as a compassionate grant, chuda and jaggery were distributed by the Kendrapara district administration to around 300 people, affected by the storm.

The Minister said one Sarat Kumar Jena of Pari-Basudeipur village of Hanspal block was killed near the Hanspal Upper Primary school after a tree fell on him during the storm.

Mr Samal said Prasant Parida of Pinapur village under Raghunathpur police station of Jagatsinghpur district was undergoing treatment at a private hospital after he sustained injuries at the same spot.

The Minister said life was paralysed in Bhubaneswar and its adjoining areas as the hailstorm, accompanied by rain and wind with a speed reaching 152 km per hour lashed the areas at around 1500 hrs yesterday.

He said power supply and telecommunication network were disrupted as the overhead wires were snapped and traffic movement was affected after several roadside trees were uprooted.

The houses with asbestos roof were badly affected, he said.

The Minister said more than 700 houses in around 20 villages and several school buildings were damaged in the storm in Khurda and Rajnagar blocks.

The Minister said a day ago 12 houses suffered damages in Jaleswar notified Council area of Balasore district in a storm.

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