Storms kill nine in Malda, mango orchard destroyed

Malda, May 9 (UNI) At least nine people were killed and fifteen injured in lightning and storms in West Bengal's Malda district yesterday, official sources said today.

Nor'wester with a velocity of over 150 kmph ripped through Malda's remote villages uprooting trees, flooring tin roofs and disconnecting power transmission line in vast areas, last evening.

Besides nine deaths, fifteen people including three women and a child were injured after their thached houses destroyed in the hail storms and cloudburst.

While two deaths each reported from Manikchak and Ratua, Kaliachak had three casualties and one each at Khonapur and English Bazar, district magistrate Chittaranjan Das said.

Storms also damaged over 200 houses at Kaliachak and Manikchak blocks, about 30 km from this town.

Hails also destroyed standing paddy and mango, Malda's main cash crop, Das said.

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