Cyclone Bulbul Kills Seven; 2.97 Lakh Affected in West Bengal

Severe Cyclone Bulbul has left behind a trail of destruction in West Bengal, taking seven lives in three districts, affecting 2.97 lakh people and damaging over 28,000 houses, senior ministers said on Sunday. The storm also uprooted hundreds of trees and affected power supply in the state.

Five deaths were reported from Basirhat sub-division in North 24 Parganas district, while South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts recorded one death each in the storm which crossed the Bengal coast close to Sundarban Dhanchi forest between 8.30 p.m.

and 11.30 p.m. on Saturday.

"The storm fully damaged 2,473 houses, while 206 houses suffered severe damages. The number of partially damaged houses is 26,000," Khan told media persons.

State Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said that in the worst-hit Basirhat sub-division alone, 3,100 houses suffered damage.

Mullick, who toured the Bulbul-hit areas in Basirhat on Sunday, said the condition of Sandeshkhali was "very bad".

"There has been massive damage to agricultural land. We have to meet the crisis on a war footing," he said.

Six teams of National Disaster Response Force and four State Disaster Response Force teams alongside 15,000 volunteers were carrying out relief and rescue operations in the affected areas, Khan said.

So far, 46,000 tarpaulin sheets have been distributed, and 373 group kitchens were operating.

"We are still awaiting information from some of the remote areas. Only then we will be able to collate the total damage," said the minister.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre here, Canning in South 24 Parganas recorded 20 cm rainfall in the 24 hours till 8.30 a.m. on Sunday. Contai and Digha in East Midnapore district received 16 cm and 10 cm rains respectively during the same period.