Phulbani/Bolangir: A thunderstorm wreaked havoc in parts of the state Tuesday with Phulbani and Bolangir being the worst hit. Properties worth several lakh were destroyed in the calamity.
Many trees and electric poles got uprooted and fell on roads disrupting movement of vehicles in Phulbani as heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds wreaked havoc in the town. Several bikes, scooters and cars were also damaged.
Many houses were damaged while the town plunged into darkness as over 60 electricity poles got uprooted. Power supply was disrupted in the whole town due to snapping of cables during the thunderstorm.
As many as 150 people were injured. At least eight children and a lady teacher of a school at Penji Sahi sustained injuries after a large tree got uprooted and fell on its roof.
The wind first started blowing at 7.30 am and within five to seven minutes it caused serious damage in the whole town. SP Prateek Geeta Singh volunteered to clear the roads along with police and fire personnel. Locals also joined them and the roads were cleared by 10 am.
Over 100 powers workers were working on a war footing to restore power supply as the HSC examination was underway, Southco executive engineer Manoj Mohanty said.
Phulbani tehsildar Dinamani Nayak said preliminary inquiries revealed that 20 houses have been damaged while a probe is underway to determine the extent of loss.
People of Bolangir experienced a similar situation due to the thunderstorm since late night. Heavy rain lashed the town from around 10 am while gusty wind started blowing around 2 am. Several large trees and electric poles got uprooted and fell on roads affecting traffic and disrupting power supply. Asbestos and tile roofs of several houses were blown away.
The affected areas are Chimnibhatipada, Meghanadpada, Rameswar Nagar, Palace Line, Gandhi Nagar Pada and Sadeipalipali and Madhipali on outskirts of Bolangir town. Two persons including a woman were injured during the calamity.
Sairendhri Nayak sustained critical injuries after a wall collapsed on her. She was rushed to VIMSAR in Burla after primary treatments at the district headquarters hospital. Healthcare services were also hit due to lack of power supply in the hospital.
A large religious assembly titled ‘Sankritan Mahakumbh’ scheduled at Sadeipali was affected by the gale. Participants from US, Russia, European and Asian countries were scheduled to attend this event.