Cyclone Amphan: 72 dead in Bengal; Rs. 2.5L compensation announced
A day after Cyclone Amphan made landfall at West Bengal's Digha, the super cyclonic storm left the state in ruins. As the storm progressed into Bangladesh, it left 72 dead in West Bengal along with a trail of destruction. The Kolkata airport was left waterlogged along with other low-lying areas, while several buildings, trees, and electricity poles were damaged. Here are more details.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Cyclone Amphan had left 72 people across the state dead, including 15 deaths in Kolkata. "I have never seen such a disaster before," Banerjee said, as the state also reels under a coronavirus outbreak. Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs. 2-2.5 lakh for kin of those deceased and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state.
WATCH- The impact of #CycloneAmphan on Kolkata Airport. An old Air India hangar has sustained maximum damage, its roof has collapsed. pic.twitter.com/zYmzDf28ah
— Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) May 21, 2020
Kolkata was among the worst-hit regions along with North and South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, and Howrah. Several dilapidated buildings reportedly crumbled under the effect of the cyclonic storm. Banerjee had estimated damages amounting to Rs. 1 lakh crore on Wednesday evening.
Cyclone Amphan crashing through Purba Medinipur, Nandigram #CycloneAmphanUpdate #Amphan pic.twitter.com/dHKiy8wSj0
— Sayon Biswas (@sayon_96) May 20, 2020
At a press briefing on Thursday, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director-General SN Pradhan said the damage is estimated to be higher in West Bengal. Pradhan said the state has requested four more NDRF teams, that will reach the state by Thursday evening. He said 5 lakh people had been evacuated in West Bengal and 2 lakh in the neighboring Odisha state.
The Indian Meteorological Department Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during the press briefing that Cyclone Amphan will no longer have an adverse impact on West Bengal. The storm moved further north-northeastwards, weakening into a deep depression, and lay centered over Bangladesh about 300 km east-northeast of Kolkata, 110 km south-southeast of Dhubri and 80 km south-southeast of Rangpur in Bangladesh.
Mohapatra said, "Very-very heavy rainfall is expected in Assam especially in the western part and in Meghalaya. Arunachal Pradesh will also receive some rainfall at isolated places." Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna has asked the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) to remain alert.
