Thakurgaon Correspondent:

A 2.5-year-old child and two women lost their lives in a storm that lasted a few minutes early Saturday ( 1 June) morning in Thakurgaon.

The two-and-a-half-year-old child drowned in accumulated rainwater.

The deceased were identified as Nayum, from Nayapara village, Farida Begum, 40, and Jaheda Bagum, 50, from Shaldanga village.

Farida was found under the debris from their tin roof. She was taken to the Baliadangi Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared her dead.

Jaheda Begum was sitting on the veranda during the storm. Her husband, Dabirul Islam, mentioned that his wife had been ill for a long time and likely suffered a stroke out of fear during the storm.

Nayum’s father, Nazmul Islam, reported that his child fell into a water-filled ditch next to their house and drowned.

Several villages have been destroyed, and most areas in the district are facing power outages.

The storm hit suddenly around 5am and lasted for 10 to 12 minutes, with the most severe impact in Baliadangi Upazila, particularly in the Paria and Duoshuo unions, affecting 20 villages.

Homes and trees were destroyed, impacting over a hundred families.

The storm also affected 12 villages in Paria Union, including Tilkora, Shaldanga, Bangavita, Lohara, and Bamunia, and 8 villages in Borobari Union, including Belhara, Belbari, Botarhat, and Horipur.

Trees fell on five shops and two eateries in the Adardighi market in Borobari Union.

Fazlur Rahman, the headmaster of Loharagada High School, reported that the storm destroyed the tin roof of their school’s hall room. A tree fell on an electric pole at the school’s entrance, blocking the road to Bangavita and obstructing traffic.

Kamrul Islam, Assistant General Manager of the Baliadangi Zonal Office of Palli Bidyut Samiti, reported that over 40 electric poles were either uprooted or damaged, with trees falling on power lines, leading to widespread power cuts. He assured that efforts are underway to repair the poles and restore electricity.

Baliadangi Upazila Executive Officer Afsana Kawsar stated that UP chairmen and local officials are assessing the damage in the affected areas.

Expressing condolences over the deaths, Thakurgaon-2 constituency MP Principal Mazharul Islam Sujon visited the affected areas and assured support for the affected families.