2 killed, 5,500 houses damaged in North 24 Parganas due to Cyclone Amphan

Parganas: Two persons were killed and 5,500 houses damaged in North 24 Parganas as extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan hit West Bengal on Wednesday.

Two persons sustained severe injuries.

"Five thousand and five hundred houses damaged, two persons dead and two severely injured in North 24 Parganas," said a 7 pm report by Bibek Vasme, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Basirhat.

HR Biswas, Director of IMD Bhubaneswar, Odisha, said that Amphan is located 35 km northeast of Sagar island in West Bengal, 70 km south of Kolkata and 95 km east-northeast of Digha.

"Amphan crossed as a very severe cyclonic storm. While crossing its wind speed was 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. Now it's located 35 km northeast of Sagar island (West Bengal),70 km south of Kolkata,95 km east-northeast of Digha," he said.

Streets in Kolkata were waterlogged, trees uprooted and houses damaged due to strong winds and heavy rain as Amphan crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya Islands, Bangladesh across Sunderbans between 3.30 and 5.30 pm today.

Power cuts were reported in some areas of Kolkata following heavy rain and strong winds due to the cyclone.

The power supply has been cut off in North and South 24 Parganas of West Bengal in view of the super cyclone.

More than 5 lakh people have been evacuated in West Bengal and 1,58,640 people in Odisha in view of Cyclone Amhpan, said SN Pradhan, chief of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).