Cyclone Dana claims 4 lives in West Bengal as damage intensifies

The toll from Cyclone Dana has risen to four in West Bengal, as two additional fatalities were reported on Saturday, officials confirmed.

In a tragic incident, 31-year-old Chandan Das, a civic volunteer, succumbed on the spot after allegedly coming into contact with a live wire in Bud Bud, located in Purba Bardhaman district. This incident occurred while Das was accompanying a police team on duty.

In a separate case, an employee of the Howrah Municipal Corporation was discovered deceased on a waterlogged road in Tantipara, with preliminary reports suggesting drowning as the cause of death.

The cyclone's impact has been devastating. On Friday, two deaths were reported due to electrocution: one in Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas district and another in the Bhabanipur area of South Kolkata.

Cyclone Dana made landfall on the eastern coast in the early hours of Friday, unleashing torrential rains and high winds that uprooted trees and power poles, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and agricultural lands in both Odisha and West Bengal. The cyclone's landfall, marked by wind speeds approaching 110 km/h, began at 12:05 AM between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Dhamra in the Bhadrak district of Odisha and continued until around 8:30 AM.

Authorities are continuing assessments of the damage and response efforts as the state grapples with the aftermath of this severe weather event.

(With PTI inputs)