5 die as cyclonic storm batters Bhagalpur, cripples rail services

Bhagalpur: Five persons were killed after a severe thunderstorm and cyclonic rain accompanied by high-velocity winds wreaked havoc in Bhagalpur district late Monday night, disrupting power supply, road connectivity and railway services.Bodies of three victims were recovered and identified, while SDRF teams were searching for two others on Tuesday. The victims were identified as Nakul Yadav, 37, Kuna Devi, 70, and Md Jainul, 57.According to meteorological sources, winds blowing at 110-140 kmph uprooted trees and electric poles across the district, triggering a complete power blackout and drinking water shortage in many localities.Train operations on the Katihar-Naugachia-Barauni section were disrupted due to damage to electric wires, while traffic movement on NH-31, NH-80 and several other roads remained paralysed after large trees collapsed on roads. Heavy vehicles and private cars remained stranded through the night as SDRF and district administration teams worked to clear routes.Naugachia subdivision witnessed extensive damage, with several kutcha houses, roadside kiosks and temporary structures destroyed in the storm.At Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, the wall of a surgery ward storeroom and a fabricated ward collapsed after a tree fell on the building. Water entered hospital wards due to broken windows and walls, forcing authorities to shift indoor patients to safer rooms.Bhagalpur district magistrate Nawal Kishor Choudhary said, “The destruction and damage is huge due to cyclonic storm in the district and our teams including SDRF teams since midnight are working to restore civic life including electricity supply and road connectivity as early as possible.”He said restoration work was underway across the district.