3 die as squall lashes state

Three persons were killed as a thunderstorm followed by rains lashed South Bengal districts today.
A senior police officer of Burdwan district said, two persons were struck by thunderbolt while standing in the open at Raniganj area this evening.
They were declared dead at hospital, he said.
In Mangalahat area of Howrah district, a man was electrocuted coming in contact with a live electric wire which snapped during rains, a Government Railway Police officer said since Howrah station is located nearby.
In Raniganj belt tree branches fell on poles snapping power connections and roofs were blown away in the squall causing minor injury to some people, the Burdwan police official said.