Patna, Bihar:
Thirty-two people were killed and over 80 seriously injured as a nor'wester ravaged several Bihar districts on Tuesday night, destroying thousands of huts and standing crops.
The Principal secretary to Bihar Disaster Management Department said that "the maximum number of 25 deaths were reported from Purnia district, while six have died in Madhepura and one in Madhubani."
The storm hit Purnia, Madhepura, Saharsa, Madhubani, Samastipur, Darbhanga and Samastipur uprooting several thousand trees, damaging power lines and destroying thousands of huts and standing crops of maize, wheat and pulses.
"Road transport in the districts have been hit in the aftermath of the storm as many trees are lying uprooted," he said.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director in Patna, RK Giri said the storm packed wind speed around 65 km per hour.
"The storm descended from Nepal side hitting Purnia, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga and went deep inside the state up to Bhagalpur. Our radar data is showing that the wind speed was around 65 km per hour," Mr Giri said.
Such storms, he said, are common in this season and are called 'Kal Baisakhi' or 'nor'westers'.
The state government has declared a compensation of Rs four lakh to the kin of each of the persons dead in the storm.
The money will be paid from the Disaster Management Fund.
"The administration in the affected districts is taking stock of the situation and estimating the loss," a disaster management official said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will make an aerial survey of the affected area to assess the situation and the extent of damage, official sources said.