At least three people were killed and another injured when a makeshift tent they were resting in collapsed during Cyclone Nor’wester (Kalpaisaki) that hit Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Thursday afternoon, police said.
According to local officials, Naranpur was hit by strong winds accompanied by rain, destroying a temporary tent structure in which the workers were present at the time. Rescue teams began operations and recovered those trapped under the collapsed building.
The dead were identified as Alok Chibindiya, Sagar Nayak and Bittu Nayak, all associated with the Maa Tarini tent, an official said, adding that the injured worker was rushed to a nearby hospital and was reported to be in a critical condition.
The official said the victims were working at the site when the sudden storm hit, leaving little time to escape as the structure collapsed under the force of the gusty winds.
Condolences on the deaths, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi announced the donation $4 thousand pounds for each of the relatives of the deceased.
This comes just two months after a cyclone hit parts of Mayurbhanj district on March 15, killing at least three people in Karanjia district and injuring several others. Hundreds of homes were damaged and electricity poles were uprooted.
At least five people died in separate incidents of lightning and storms across Odisha in April, as strong winds and thunderstorms disrupted normal life in districts including Balasore, Bhadrak and Keonjhar. Several areas reported damage to crops, downed power lines and temporary structures.
Meteorologist Sarat Sahu said the population of the north was very low this season. “Due to the lack of adequate population in the northwestern regions, the state is witnessing a major heatwave. Dry and hot winds from the northwest are penetrating the interior and western Odisha, causing temperatures to rise by 3 to 4 degrees,” he added.
