Amphan toll rises to 85; No trains till May 26: Didi
KOLKATA: The death toll due to Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 85, as angry Kolkatans resorted to protest and road blockades in various parts of the city over the administration’s failure to restore normalcy even after three days. With normal life thrown out of gear by the region’s worst weather disasters, the authorities scrambled in various parts of the state to restore normalcy.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Railway Ministry not to send Shramik Special trains to the state till May 26 in view of Cyclone Amphan.
The letter from West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Chairman of Railway board VK Yadav dated May 22, stated that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.
“As the district administrations are involved in relief and rehabilitation works, it will not be possible to receive special trains for the next few days. It is therefore requested that no train should be sent to West Bengal till May 26,” she said.
Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Cyclone Amphan hit South 24 Parganas district on Saturday and take stock of the situation.
Lakhs of people were rendered homeless as Cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through half-adozen districts of the state on Wednesday, flattening houses, uprooting thousands of trees and swamping low-lying areas.
According to official sources, around 1.5 crore people of the state have been directly affected and more than 10 lakh houses destroyed due to the cyclone.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army rushed five columns to West Bengal on Saturday to help the state in carrying out relief and rescue operations after cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in the eastern state, a senior officer said.
In a statement, the Army said: “Based on the West Bengal government’s request, the Army has provided five columns to assist the Kolkata City civil administration in the aftermath of cyclone Amphan.