Storm, rain lash Kolkata, coastal Bengal; 3 dead, 6 injured

Kolkata, Aug 17: Three persons were killed and six others injured when a storm accompanied by rain hit the city and coastal areas of the state on Wednesday (Aug 17).

Three persons were killed - two in Jadavpur in southern part of the city and one at Beliaghata in northern part of the metropolis, Kolkata Police officials said.

In Jadavpur two persons were killed when an uprooted tree fell on them near Jadavpur 8B bus stand, the sources said adding one of the deceased was identified as Madhumita Hembram.

In Beliaghata, a pedestrian Amar Mukherjee was fatally injured when a tree branch fell on him when he was passing by Beliaghata Main Road at around 7:18 pm and was declared brought dead at N R S Hospital nearby, they said.

At least six persons were injured in different localities in the storm. The condition of one of the injured was critical, the sources said.

A major part of the city witnessed a massive traffic snarl along with water logging in some places in the evening causing inconvenience to home-bound commuters.

Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said the municipal corporation has deployed 22 teams to clear the uprooted trees from the roads.

As overhead wires snapped, train services in Sealdah section were disrupted for hours.

The MeT department has forecast heavy rain in most districts of south Bengal, including the metropolis, till tomorrow as result of a deep depression near the coastal town of Digha in the southern tip of West Bengal.

Most of the districts in south Bengal experienced moderate to heavy rains and gusty wind having speed upto 70 km/hour owing to the deep depression, Regional MeT Director G C Debnath said.

PTI