Cyclone Yaas: Five dead due to lightning, electrocution in West Bengal; heavy rains likely across state

Kolkata: At least five persons were killed in West Bengal on Thursday in separate incidents of lightning strike and electrocution , an official of the disaster management department said. Three people — two teenage boys in Murshidabad district’s Hariharpara and another person in Nakashipara in Nadia district — died after being struck by lightning, he said. In Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram, two young boys were electrocuted to death, the official said. Heavy rain lashed the metropolis and some other districts of West Bengal, a day after cyclone ‘Yaas’ wreaked havoc in several places in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas and the tourist hotspot of Digha, but spared Kolkata of any significant damage. The Met Department said 75 milimetres rainfall was recorded at Alipore till 5.30 pm from 8.30 am on Thursday, with Malda receiving the highest downpour at 140 milimetres during the period. Diamond Harbour logged 57 milimetres rainfall. Possibility of heavy rain will persist as long as a depression — a fallout of the cyclone — exists in the vicinity of the state, Deputy Director of the Regional Met Centre, Sanjib Bandopadhyay, said. “All districts of West Bengal will experience thunderstorms with isolated heavy rain,” he said, adding, the intensity will decrease from Friday morning.