Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said severe cyclone Remal has claimed three lives in the state and assured the people that the administration is fully committed to supporting those affected by the natural disaster.
"I've been closely monitoring the situation since yesterday. Three of our fellow citizens have tragically lost their lives in this cyclone. My heartfelt condolences go out to their families," she said at an election rally at Burrabazar here.
Banerjee announced her intention to visit the cyclone-hit areas once the situation stabilises. "Many have seen their mud houses collapse and crops destroyed. For those who have lost everything, we will take necessary measures," she asserted.
Emphasizing her unwavering support for the affected populace, Banerjee remarked, "Even with just a few days left for campaigning, I had to address this meeting after being in the control room round the clock." Earlier, administration sources had claimed that five persons – one in Kolkata, two women in South 24 Parganas district, and a father-son duo in Purba Medinipur – had lost their lives in separate incidents attributed to the cyclone.
After tearing through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction with pictures of devastation becoming evident across the state’s coastal areas, with extensive damage to infrastructure and property, soon after daybreak on Monday.
Roofs of thatched huts were blown away, uprooted trees blocked roads in Kolkata as well as in the coastal districts, and electricity poles were knocked down causing significant power disruption in various parts of the state, including in the city’s outskirts, the officials said.
The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday and lasted for a good four hours.
Published 27 May 2024, 14:40 IST