Storm leaves trail of destruction in Purnia district

Mohammed Ashfaq and Saeeda Khatun of Harkheli village in Purnia district are seen wailing and invoking the almighty to return their children.
The couple lost both of their children, Shahanwaz (12) and Ayesh Khatun (8), in the Nor'wester that wreaked havoc on Tuesday night.
Ashfaq and Khatun were not the only ones that lost their kin in the district that bore the brunt of the storm, which claimed 32 lives in the district, destroyed homes and livelihood of thousands, in barely 30 minutes.
Besides the fatalities, the highest among the affected districts of the state, the Nor'wester has devastated thousands of houses and destroyed crops like wheat, maize, pulse, banana and others spread over 45,000 hectare in both rural and urban areas, District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar said.

The quantum of damage to crops was being assessed and assistance will be given to the affected farmers after receiving the reports.
Out of 14 blocks of the district, Dagarua suffered the most casualties of 19 as the storm and rain which later turned into hailstorm wreaked havoc there.

Seven died due to wall collapse in Adhkaily panchayat of Dagarua block, officials said.
Ashfaq's village Harkheli is situated in Dagarua.
Like him, the calamity proved to be unforgettable for the family of Ajit Kumar Mishra, who live in Shanti Nagar locality in Purnia town as his three year-old son Harsh died after being buried under building construction materials.

When members of the Mishra family were sitting holding each other's hand hoping the storm to subside, the wind blew away the roof of their house and soon a rubble of building materials from the under-construction house next door pounded on them.