Four killed, property damaged in Tripura storm

At least four people, including a woman, were killed and two others injured when a heavy seasonal thunderstorm accompanied by rain hit Tripura on Saturday, police said.

Much property was also damaged in the squall.

The dead, as per a police official, included three labourers from Jharkhand after the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned as the driver lost control in the storm.

Two other injured passengers were shifted to the hospital.

The incident occurred at Baluarchar, 28 km from Agartala, in western Tripura when the labourers were going to a brick kiln in Sonamura sub-division.

In another incident, a 45-year-old tribal woman was killed at Abhonagar, near here, when a tree fell down on her.

The seasonal storm, accompanied by rains, also damaged the power supply system, uprooted many electric poles and big trees, besides damaging many homes and various properties in different parts of the state.

Though the four-month-long (June-September) southwest monsoon will hit the northeastern region after two months, due to seasonal Nor'wester (cyclonic rainstorm) spells have been occurred intermittently since early this month in most parts of the region's eight states.

Meteorological department officials said that the Nor'wester would continue till the onset of monsoon in June and be more active in the coming weeks in entire eastern and northeast India and few other places.

--IANS

sc/vd