Baripada: A severe Kalbaisakhi storm accompanied by strong winds and rain caused widespread damage in several gram panchayats under Thakurmunda block of Mayurbhanj district on Monday afternoon, leaving a 13-year-old girl dead and disrupting normal life in the area.
The thunderstorm struck the region around 3.20 pm, uprooting trees, damaging electric poles and blowing away roofs of several houses. Vehicular movement on the Thakurmunda-Karanjia road was temporarily disrupted after a mango tree fell across the road. Fire services personnel later cleared the obstruction, restoring traffic.
The deceased girl was identified as Sweety Patra (13), a Class VI student from Banasahi village in Baliposi under Khandbandh gram panchayat.
According to reports, Sweety, her mother Pujarani Patra (40), and her younger brother had taken shelter inside a newly built asbestos-roofed house when the storm intensified. As strong winds blew away the asbestos sheets, the family rushed towards a nearby house for safety. During the attempt, a large branch of a Sal tree snapped and fell on them.
Sweety sustained critical head injuries and lost consciousness on the spot, while her mother suffered a fracture on her left shoulder.
After the storm subsided, locals contacted emergency services and an 108 ambulance from Patana area in neighbouring Keonjhar district reached the village. On being informed, Thakurmunda police station IIC Sabitri Dalei along with her team arrived at the spot and shifted the injured to the Thakurmunda Community Health Centre.
Doctors at the hospital declared Sweety dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, the Kalbaisakhi caused extensive damage across several parts of Thakurmunda block, with tiled and asbestos-roofed houses suffering major damage and power infrastructure being affected in multiple locations.
