Cyclone Amphan Toll Rises To 72 In WB; Mamata Urges Modi To Visit State

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Cyclone Amphan has killed 72 persons in the state and out of these 15 deceased were from Kolkata. Most fatalities were reported from five districts of the state.

The CM has announced Rs two lakh compensation for the next of the kin of the deceased.

Banerjee has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state and take stock of the situation. "I would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come and visit Cyclone Amphan-affected areas," she said.

Packing heavy rain and winds with speeds of up to 190 kmph, extremely severe cyclone Amphan slammed Digha coast of West Bengal at 2.30 pm on Wednesday, triggering heavy rainfall and gustings in various parts of the state.

In West Bengal, the cyclone barrelled through coastal districts of North and South 24 Paraganas of Bengal, which were the worst-affected, unleashing copious rain and windstorm, blowing away thatched houses, uprooting trees, electric poles and swamping low lying towns and villages.

In Kolkata, strong winds with speed up to 125 kmph per hour upturned cars and felled trees and electricity poles blocking important roads and intersections. Streets and homes in low lying areas of Kolkata were swamped with rainwater. Portions of several dilapidated buildings came crashing down in Kolkata and other parts of the state.

In Bangladesh, cyclone Amphan killed at least 10 people, devastating coastal villages, inundating many areas and damaging scores of houses. The storm was the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades, made a landfall on Wednesday evening. It was the most powerful storm since cyclone ''Sidr'' killed nearly 3,500 people in 2007.

Also Read | Cyclone Amphan Kills 24 In India And Bangladesh, Kolkata Airport Water-logged