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Cyclone ravages Tripura |
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The severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal which caused extensive damage in Bangladesh, also wreaked havoc on Tripura and parts of Meghalaya while on its journey from the Bangladesh coast on Nov. 15. Hundreds of mud and thatched houses collapsed in Tripura, seriously injuring at least 20 people, as the power-packed cyclone swept on at wind speeds of upto 130km per hour.
A meteorological scientist in the Agartala unit of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, P.K. Singh, said the cyclone named Sidr hit Tripura 70 km southwest of the state capital before heading for Bangladesh. The southwestern coast of the neighbouring country bore the brunt of the cyclone, leaving at least 600 people dead and thousands missing.
When the Tripura government sounded an alert on Nov. 15, it triggered panic across the state. Very few dared to step out of their homes after dusk. The daylong rain intensified by midnight.
According to initial reports received by the disaster management wing of the Tripura government, more than 900 mud and thatched houses were flattened by the storm. Nepal Sen, Joint Secretary in the State Home Ministry and head of the disaster management wing, confirmed that 20 people were injured.
Life in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya was paralysed even before the cyclone passed by. Electricity and telephone lines snapped in all three districts of Garo Hills and strong winds blew away the roofs of scores of houses. However, no loss of life was reported.
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