Cyclone Amphan Kills 72 in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee Announces Compensation of Rs 2.5 Lakh Each to Kin of Deceased
Earlier in the day, Amphan whirled at a speed of 70 kmph over Bangladesh after wreaking havoc in Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday. The cyclonic storm is slated to weaken into a Deep Depression and gradually into a Depression in few hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
Kolkata, May 21: Cyclone Amphan killed 72 people in West Bengal so far, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informed on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Amphan whirled at a speed of 70 kmph over Bangladesh after wreaking havoc in Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday. The cyclonic storm is slated to weaken into a Deep Depression and gradually into a Depression in few hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 Lakh to the families of those who died in Cyclone Amphan. Banerjee said she has never seen such a disaster like Cyclone Amphan before. "I have never seen such a disaster before. I will ask PM to visit the state and see the situation", she said. Cyclone Amphan Fury in WB: Restoration Work by NDRF Underway After Trees, Traffic Signals Get Uprooted, Mamata Banerjee Says 'Situation More Worrying Than COVID-19 Pandemic'.
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The super cyclone is said to be one of the worst to form over the Bay of Bengal in many years. Strong winds uprooted hundreds of trees, damaged communications and power transmission poles and caused extensive damage to roads, crops and plantations.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi prayed for the well-being of people in Odisha and West Bengal after Cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc on Wednesday. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister assured that efforts are underway to ensure normalcy in both the states.
The Super Cyclone had weakened into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclone Storm' on Tuesday night and then to a 'Very Severe Cyclone Storm' crossing Odisha with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Amphan made a landfall in Sundarbans in West Bengal during Wednesday afternoon and then moved towards Bangladesh. It became less severe and came down to 'Severe Cyclonic Storm' by 11 pm on Wednesday, Cyclonic Storm by 5.30 am on May 21 and Depression at 11.30 am on the same day.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 21, 2020 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).