TURA, April 17: A powerful thunderstorm that was accompanied with strong winds and hail lashed Tura and its adjoining areas on Friday night causing extensive damage to as many as 140 houses and affecting a population of 500 people.
An elderly man was grievously injured when his roof caved in during the storm at Rangira Gittim locality of Tura. He has been admitted to the ICU unit of Tura Civil Hospital.
Many of the houses were either flattened or had their rooftops blown off by the powerful winds that ripped through the Tura, Rongram and Selsella region.
“So far 140 houses have been damaged affecting a population of 500 people. We are providing general relief and assistance to the families. House damage will be compensated as per SDRF norms,” announced West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh.
The late night storm brought down power lines and posts, uprooted trees and blew away roofs in several places in Tura and Rongram development block region.
Tura town was left reeling under a power cut the entire night and most part of Saturday after MeECL teams were left with their hands full dealing with fallen power posts and snapped electrical wires all across town.
Alert for another night of thunderstorm remains in place across the Garo Hills region that has already witnessed two back to back thunder squalls in the last two nights.
“Keep away from electrical devices and unplug them. Avoid travel and stay away from water bodies and doors and windows. Do not take shelter under trees,” advised the deputy commissioner.
In Tura, homes at Bolsal A’chik, Nikwatgre, Rangira Gittim, Kombe Gittim and Gongadamal were damaged.
In Rongram block area, damages were extensive to homes in the villages of Bokmagre, Waram Songma, Aguragre, Lower Danagre, Megapgre, Uregre, Watregre, Soragre and Botegre.
Families were left with entire homes destroyed in some places such as Watregre, while in Selsella region, school books were damaged after the storm blew away the roof top of a village school. The annual pre-monsoon showers that lash the region cause extensive damage including loss of lives from lightning strikes and falling trees besides house collapses.
APPEAL FOR RELIEF
Meanwhile, the District Congress Committee of East Garo Hills has petitioned the Deputy Commissioner urging him to provide relief and compensation to the victims of the cyclone, which occurred in the district on Friday night leading to large-scale destruction.