Cyclone Bulbul claims 10 in West Bengal

Kolkata: Cyclone Bulbul has claimed at least 10 lives and affected as many as 2.73 lakh people in West Bengal after killing two people in Odisha on Saturday night.

This has prompted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to postpone her tour to North Bengal. On Monday, she would go on an aerial survey of the worst-affected parts of Sundarban delta in South 24 Parganas followed up by a visit to another district North 24 Parganas to take stock of the damage.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar mourned the loss of lives. He also praised Ms Banerjee, her government and Central agencies for their efforts to tackle the cyclone. Five out of the ten deaths were reported in North 24 Parganas. One each happened in South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore. Most of the deaths were due to either uprooting of trees or house collapse. On Sunday, Ms Banerjee tweeted, “Due to the severe cyclonic storm Bulbul, I have decided to postpone my North Bengal visit in the coming week. Instead, I would undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas around Namkhana and Bakkhali tomorrow.”

She added, “Later, I would take a meeting at Kakdwip with the administration to review relief and rehabilitation measures of the cyclone-affected people. I am also planning to visit the areas of Basirhat of North 24-Parganas on 13 November, 2019.” State disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan informed that around 2.73 lakh people were affected while 2,473 houses were totally destroyed in nine districts.

Out of the 2.73 lakh, 1.78 lakh people were accommodated in 471 relief camps and 373 temporary kitchens were to prepare food for the affected people. Around 46,000 tarpaulins were distributed even as 15,000 civic volunteers have been pressed into relief operations.