Severe cyclonic storm, heavy showers lash several parts of Assam

A severe cyclonic storm accompanied with heavy showers lashed several parts of Assam in the early hours of Wednesday leaving three persons injured and a trail of destruction. The storm swept across central Assam districts of Golaghat, Nagaon and Morigaon, as well as lower Assam districts of Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Nalbari, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar and Dhubri from 2.45, am for several hours, officials said.

It damaged houses, blew away the tin roofs of a large number of houses, uprooted trees and electric poles and snapped power lines including in Guwahati, they said adding many people were left homeless by the storm. The high-velocity storm and accompanying heavy rains, called Bordoisila in the state, also damaged pandals erected for the ongoing Rongali Bihu festival forcing dancers and singers to end their programmes. The Bihu pandals at Latasil, Chandmari, Noonmati, Maligaon areas here and at many other places of Assam were badly affected in the storm. Three persons, including a woman, sustained serious injuries during the thunderstorm at Rangolumukh in Nagaon district, official sources said.

A tree fell on the Silghat-Nagaon section of North Eastern Frontier Railway near Salna disrupting train services, Railway sources said adding work is on for early restoration of the line and movement of trains. At Jagiroad in Morigaon district a huge tree fell on Kapili bridge halting traffic for several hours, the sources said. The Met office here said a cyclonic circulation lies over east Assam and neighbourhood and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level. It has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a few places in the next 24 hours and warned of thundersquall with maximum wind speed reaching upto 60 to 70 kmph at isolated places.

(With inputs from agencies.)