Cyclone ‘Bulbul’ disrupts normal life in Bengal; 4 killed

TIL Desk/National/Kolkata/ Cyclone ‘Bulbul’, which made landfall between Bengal and Bangladesh coasts, brought in its wake heavy rain coupled with strong winds till early Sunday, affecting normal life in several parts of the city and the coastal districts of the state.

At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas since Saturday, according to official reports. An employee of a renowned club in the city was killed when a branch of a cedar tree fell on him, police said.

In Basirhat, North 24 Parganas, three persons died in separate incidents. Torrential rain lashed the metropolis throughout Saturday, forcing people to remain indoors. Gale wind with gusts up to 135 kmph prevailed over the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore and its adjoining areas in North 24 Parganas as the cyclone made landfall around midnight on Saturday.

Hundreds of uprooted trees blocked roads in parts of the city, even as people braved the weather and came out of their homes on Sunday. The NDRF, along with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), police and fire personnel, is working on a war footing to clear road blockades caused by fallen trees and branches.