Tragedy struck Bagerhat district as a powerful nor’wester wreaked havoc, claiming the life of a farmer and leaving eight others injured on Sunday.
Likchan Sardar, 35, tragically lost his life when a thunderbolt struck him while he worked in his field amidst the storm in Maghia, Kachua upazila.
The ferocity of the nor’wester was further evidenced as 34 electric poles succumbed to the onslaught, plunging 400,000 residents into darkness as power supply to various parts of the district was disrupted.
Deputy Commissioner Khalid Hossain detailed the harrowing aftermath, citing injuries sustained by individuals due to collapsing billboards and trees in separate incidents.
The storm’s impact was widespread, causing damage to a hundred thatched houses and uprooting numerous trees across Sadar, Kachua, Rampal, Fakirhat, Sarankhola, and Morrelganj upazilas around 10 am.
Additionally, a passenger bus bore the brunt of the calamity as a collapsing billboard inflicted damage upon it.
Sushanta Roy, additional general manager of Bagerhat Polli Bidyut, revealed the extent of power disruption, with uprooted electric poles and snapped wires leaving customers of Polli Bidyut and West Zone Power Distribution Company grappling with the absence of electricity.
Efforts to restore power supply are underway, with Power division workers mobilized for the task, while Upazila Nirbahi Officers have been tasked with assessing the damages incurred, underscoring the magnitude of the calamity and the ensuing recovery efforts.
