Storms damage over 250 houses, in three districts

This century-old shimul tree at Jagadal Bazar in Panchagarh Sadar fell down during the nor'wester that lashed areas of Panchagarh and Tentulia uapzilas under the district early yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Nor'wester lashed lashed Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Sherpur districts early yesterday and on Tuesday night, damaging over houses and shops.
The storm accompanied by rain hit different areas of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila at around 10:00pm and continued for 30 minutes.
At least 30 houses, litchi and mango orchards were badly damaged by the storm. The twister also uprooted a number of trees and electric poles, plunging the entire upazila into darkness. Local unit of Palli Bidyut Samity is trying to restore power supply in the upazila.
Upazila administration sources said they are assessing damages caused by nor'wester.
In Panchagarh, at least 40 shops and 30 tin-roofed houses were damaged as nor'wester lashed Jagdal Bazar and its adjoining villages in Panchagarh Sadar and some villages in Tentulia upazila upazila early yesterday.
The storm hit the areas at around 4:00am and lasted for over half an hour. At least 40 shops at Jagdal bazaar and 30 houses at the adjoining villages and were damaged by the storm. A century old tree uprooted and fell on the shops at the bazar.
The worst affected villages are Buraburi, Shalbahan, Raushanpur under Sadar upazila.
Local people claimed that maize, onion, garlic fields and mango and litchi orchards were damaged in the storm-hit areas. Official sources said the upazila administrations have asked local public representatives to prepare a list of the affected people.  
In Sherpur,  a nor'wester, accompanied by hailstorm lashed 10 bordering villages in Nalitabari and Jhinaigati upazilas on Tuesday night, damaging over 200 houses and boro seedlings and vegetables on a vast tract of land, reports UNB.
The storm-hit villages are Sondhakura, Garokona, Gumra, Fhakhrabad, Haldi in Jhinaigati upazila, Samshchura, Hatipagar, Meshkura, Burunga and Kalapani in Nalitabari upazila.
Locals said the storm swept the villages around 11:00pm, damaging the houses, vegetable fields and boro seedlings on a vast tract of land.
Vegetable grower Abu Hanif of Samshchura village said, “I had cultivated cucumber on three decimals of land, taking Tk 10,000 in loan, but the storm ruined everything.”
Another vegetable grower, Israfil Miah, said vegetables on his 10 decimals of land were damaged by the storm.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Sherpur Subhash Chandra Debnath said necessary instructions have been given to agriculture officials to assess the damages caused by the storm.