A tornado that lasted only a few seconds in two villages of Alamdanga upazila in Chuadanga, leaving behind a trail of destruction and claimed one life.
The affected villages are Hardi and Udaypur under Hardi union. The tornado struck around 9:30 pm on Wednesday, killing a 70-year-old man, Akman Ali, who died on the spot after being crushed by a collapsing wall.
According to locals, the storm was sudden, intense and destructive. Within moments, tin roofs were riffed off and walls of houses collapsed. At least 20 houses were partially or completely damaged. Numerous trees were uprooted, and electric poles were affected, causing power outages in several areas.
At least half a hundred families were left homeless and had to spend the night under the open sky. However, no additional casualties were reported from the subsequent storm.
Local resident Amena Begum, 60 narrated that she had not witnessed such a terrible storm in over three decades.
“Right after Tarawih prayers, the wind started suddenly. Before we could understand anything, the roof of our house was blown away,” she said.
College student Sabia Khatun described the devastation in tears that everything is almost gone. She said,
Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel rushed to the scene upon receiving the news. Abdullah Al-Mamun, in charge of Alamdanga Fire Service, said that along with rescue operations, efforts are ongoing to remove fallen trees and electric poles from the roads.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Panna Akter said that a list of the affected families is being prepared and financial assistance will be provided.