The Meteorological Department said “severe cyclonic storm Remal” weakened into a “cyclonic storm” on Monday morning.
The Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas district was the worst affected. Hefty rains were reported in various parts of the state. Many areas were flooded. Electric poles and trees were uprooted and houses damaged, mainly in the South and North 24 Parganas districts and in Kolkata, where voting will take place on June 1.
More than 300 houses were damaged and 1,200 electricity poles were uprooted, while houses and farmlands were flooded, sources in the Nabanna State Secretariat said.
After Cyclone Remal, there was flooding in some parts of Kolkata. Nine rescue teams are on standby. Two Indian Navy ships are ready with supplies and medical assistance. Specialized diving teams and rescue teams are also ready for action.
According to the weather office, 144 mm of rain fell in Kolkata alone on Sunday night. They said the cyclone led to significant disruption of air, rail and road transport in Kolkata and other parts of south Bengal. On Monday, an official said flights from Kolkata airport resumed at 9 a.m. after being suspended for 21 hours. An elderly woman from the island of Mousuni who went to the kitchen suffered earnest injuries that ultimately led to her death when a tree hit a tree. fell on her house ‘kutchha’. A father-son duo died in Memari in East Burdwan while cutting down banana trees on Monday morning. The mishap occurred when Fore Singh was trying to remove a banana tree that was entangled in an electric wire. Singh’s son Tarun Singh tried to save his father but both of them were electrocuted. In another incident, a 22-year-old youth was electrocuted in North 24 Parganas. Another woman died of electrocution at Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas district. A 51-year-old man was killed in Kolkata’s Bibibagan on Sunday evening.
