Nor'wester storm: Death toll rises to 48; Rajnath Singh to visit Bihar on Friday

Patna: The death toll in the killer Nor’wester rose to 48 as reports of six more deaths came from the 12 ravaged districts on Thursday. A report compiled by the state disaster management department on late Tuesday night, said Purnia bore its brunt with a maximum of 32 deaths. [caption id=“attachment_2209918” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  An uprooted tree in Purnia a day after a powerful storm. PTI Photo[/caption] Seven lost their lives in Madhepura, three in Madhubani, two in Katihar, two in Sitamarhi and one each in Darbhanga and Supual, the report said. Over 80 people were seriously injured in the storm and are being treated at various government hospitals, it said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made an aerial survey of Bhagalpur and neighbouring storm hit area this morning and held a meeting with officials at Bhagalpur, CMO sources said. He said there was no forecast about the storm which took the state by surprise and left a trail of devastation. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would tour the affected districts by air on Friday, Principal secretary to the disaster management department Vyas Jee said. After telephonic talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister, the Centre had promised all assistance, official sources said. Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Thursday expressed profound grief at the human casualties and damage to dwellings in Seemanchal and Koshi regions of the state. He asked the state government to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to family members of the victims immediately and take up relief and rehabilitation work expeditiously, a statement issued by Raj Bhawan said. The Governor also asked the state government to restore transport facilities, electricity and communication network in the affected areas at the earliest, it said. Vyas Jee said district magistrates of the affected districts have been directed to provide one quintal food-grain, Rs 1,800 for buying clothes, Rs 2,000 for purchase of utensils besides Rs 2,000 cash to citizens whose dwellings perished in the high velocity storm. The DMs, he said, have been told to give priority to villages badly affected in the storm. After an aerial survey on Wednesday, Kumar had said maize crops had been flattened and others severely damaged. The affected districts are Purnea, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Bhagalpur, Samastipur, Darbhanga and Madhubani in north and north eastern parts of the state. Following instructions from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar PCC president Ashok Choudhary will leave for Katihar on Friday. According to a statement issued by HK Verma, chief spokesman of Bihar Congress, Choudhary will submit a detailed report to Gandhi after visiting Purnia and Katihar. BJP will also send its leaders to different areas affected by the tropical storm. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and senior state leader Sushil Kumar Modi will accompany Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his tour to Purnia and Madhepura on Friday. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Nand Kishore Yadav along with BJP spokesman Binod Narayan Jha will go to Darbhanga and Madhubani on Friday, a party statement said. Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar will visit Sitamarhi, former state minister Sunil Kumar Pintu Saharsa and Supual and party MLA Suresh Sharma will go to Araria for an on-the-spot study of the damage, the statement added. PTI