Bhubaneswar: A strong ‘Kalabaisakhi’ storm struck several parts of Odisha on Friday evening, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, lightning and hail in many areas. The storm caused significant damage to property and disrupted normal life across the state.
In the capital city Bhubaneswar, lightning struck a house in Somnath Basti area of Niladri Vihar. Three members of a family were injured after being hit by the lightning. Local residents immediately rescued them and rushed them to Capital Hospital. As their condition was critical, the injured were later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack for better treatment. Chandrasekharpur police have reached the spot and started an investigation into the incident.
In another incident at Old Station Bazaar in Bhubaneswar, a huge iron hoarding structure that was under construction collapsed due to strong winds and rain right in front of the Durga Puja Mandap. The falling hoarding crushed one car and two motorcycles parked below it.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Fire brigade teams were immediately deployed to the spot to clear the debris.The storm also affected Cuttack where a large hoarding on a shop near Sati Chaura Mashani Chowk collapsed due to heavy rain and wind. Fire services reached the location and started removing the fallen structure. Vehicular movement was hampered in several parts of the city due to the heavy rainfall and debris.
In Sankhemundi area of Ganjam district, strong winds at midnight caused a huge tree to fall on a shop house. Hail was also reported in parts of Subarnapur district.Several areas in Puri district were severely hit by the Kalbaisakhi storm.
In Astranga and Kakatpur, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning uprooted many large trees, disrupting normal life in the region. In Krushnaprasad block of Puri district, a massive banyan tree fell on a house in the main village late last night. Ten members of a family were inside the house at the time but miraculously escaped unhurt.
However, several electricity poles were also damaged in the incident, leading to power disruption in the entire area. Locals alleged that the Maluda Fire Department did not reach the spot on time despite complaints. Meanwhile, the officer-in-charge of Krushnaprasad police station along with his team promptly reached the location, assessed the situation and are monitoring the rescue operations.
