President distressed at deaths in West Bengal storm

KOLKATA - President Pratibha Patil Friday expressed her distress at the loss of lives and property in the violent storm that devastated parts of West Bengal Tuesday night.

In a letter to state Governor M.K. Narayanan, Patil conveyed her condolences to members of the breaved families.

“While expressing her confidence that the state government is providing due care and assistance to the affected families, the president has conveyed her condolences to the members of the bereaved families and has wished speedy recovery to the injured people,” a release from the governor’s secretariat said.

As many as 43 people died and more than 200 were hospitalised after sustaining injuries in the 30-minute storm that has been likened to a tornado. It flattened more than 100,000 houses and tossed up people, cars and cattle.

Hundreds of thousands of people were affected, mainly in five blocks of North Dinajpur district, besides parts of Jalpaiguri, officials said.