Lightning strikes killed 20 persons across several districts of south Bengal on Monday as rain and thundershowers lashed the region. According to officials, nine deaths were reported each in Murshidabad and Hooghly and two in Paschim Midnapore. Most of the victims were farmers working in the fields.
The Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore in Kolkata had predicted thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind across several districts on Monday afternoon. Almost 13 districts from the South 24 Parganas to Purulia witnessed such weather. A squall that lasted about two minutes also passed over Alipore at 16.25 hours in the north westerly direction with the highest wind of speed of 59 kmph . The weather office has predicted similar weather for some districts in north Bengal.
Adverse weather
Passengers in a Mumbai-Kolkata flight had a narrow escape when the plane was caught in adverse weather just before landing at the city airport. Three passengers suffered injuries and were rushed to a hospital.
The central team visited the South 24 Parganas district to take stock of the significant damage caused by cyclone Yaas. The cyclone, which made landfall on May 26, had resulted in the ingress of saline water in low-lying areas in the district and Purba Medinipur district. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked officials to be vigilant before the high tides likely to occur on June 11 and June 26. Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi assured her that most of the embankments which have been breached will be repaired before the high tides.
