Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
The toll in nor’wester that hit parts of West Bengal on Monday rose to nine, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
She announced an ex gratia of Rs two lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
Many trees were uprooted and suburban train services were affected as nor’wester hit several southern districts of the state on May 15.
She also announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh to the family members of each of the two persons who were killed due to electrocution in Kolkata’s Ekbalpore area on Sunday evening.
“We are sorry to inform you that nine people have been killed in yesterday’s nor’wester. We will provide a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh to the family members of each of those killed in Ekbalpore,” she said on Tuesday.
The Met department said the squall, recorded at its Alipore observatory in Kolkata, lasted for three minutes from 5.41 pm on Monday and had a maximum wind gust of 84 kmph.
Besides Kolkata, the nor’wester hit other south Bengal districts, including Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Howrah, Nadia and South and North 24 Parganas, it said.
Banerjee visited the family members of the two deceased at Ekbalpore, in the southern part of the city.
“There is a forensic investigation being done on why the incident happened,” she said, adding that a high-level meeting will take place on Wednesday.
