1 Killed, Hundreds Injured as Tornado Lashes Tripura

According to latest official reports, a farmer was killed and over 175 injured in Tripura when a tornado, accompanied by rain and hailstorm, lashed the state. The sudden gail and storm destroyed more than 1,000 houses, uprooted trees and disrupted communications. Authorities have stepped up efforts to provide relief to those affected by the tornado that struck late on Monday. The injured comprise children, women and elderly people. The injured are being treated in different government hospitals and Gobinda Ballav Pant Medical college and hospital, Tripura.

A 60-year-old farmer was electrocuted when live electrical wires snapped by the cyclonic storm struck him at Dharmanagar in northern Tripura, 195 km north of here. The district administration has opened three relief camps at Bishalgarh in western Tripura, 30 km south of here, for the affected people. The seasonal Norwester accompanied by rains and hailstorm also damaged more than 1,000 houses and killed livestock. Hundreds of trees, telephone and electric poles have been uprooted, affecting the movement of vehicles. At least 11 people have died in storms and lightning strikes in Tripura in April, 2012.