Nor'westers have killed 32 persons in three weeks in 15 districts.

Our Jhenidah correspondent reports: At least 400 dwelling houses, standing crops on thousands of hectares of land damaged while one person was killed and 25 others injured when a cyclonic storm swept over four upazilas of Jhenidah on Friday night. The two-hour-long storm left many families homeless. Now they are living under the open sky. The relief materials supplied by the district administration is too inadequate to meet the demand of the affected people.

Storm affected villages are Gobindapur, Sutli, Paikpara, Harisankarpur, Bhagabanmagar, Narayanpur in Jhenidah Sadar upazila, Shahbajpur, Falia, Baspur in Saoilkupa upazila, Elangi in Kotchandpur upazila and

Parbotipur and some other villages in Harinakunda upazila.

Baromoni, a nine-year-old boy was killed on the spot when a wall made of mud collapsed. At least 25 persons received injuries during the storm. Some of them were rushed to the local hospitals.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abu Bakar Mohammad Shahjahan, superintendent of police (SP) Manjur Kader Khan, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) visited the affected area and assured of all possible help for the victims. The local administration distributed 13 kg to 16 kg rice, 500 taka in cash were distributed among each affected family as part of the rehabilitation programme. CI sheet, more rice and money will be supplied to the victims of storm soon, the district administration said.

The district administration could not provide the exact information

about damage of property as concerned union parishad chairman did not supply them the same, they said.

Many local development organizations engaged themselves in relief activities.

Our Mymesingh correspondent reports: A nor'wester that lashed Gafargoan and Bhaluka upazilas caused serious loss to standing crops, mainly to boro crops on April 26 night.

The storm also swept over the entire district on the same night.

At least two personas were killed and over 100 were injured during the nor'wester in Gafargoan and Bhaluka upazilas.

The victims were identified as Safar Jaan, 60, of village Pachua who was buried under the collapsed earthen wall of her house and Hasen Banu, 65, wife of late Azim Uddin of village Uthuri was killed in a

storm related incident.

Of the injured four identified as Siraj, 45, Abdul Jabber, 50, Monwara, 40, and Umar Ali were admitted at Gafargoan Health Complex.

The nor'wester lashed over 15 unions of Gafargoan upazila that started at 9 pm on Friday night (Apr. 26) and continued for about an hour. Of the affected unions --Panchabagh, Rawna, Jessora, Moshakhali, Rasulpur, Barabari and Kushthi were worse affected. Some 3,000 kutcha houses were damaged totally while 7,000 damaged partially, according to primary report. At least 20 educational institutions were damaged. Of those, Uthuri government Primary school, Pachua Rabeya Begum Junior High School, Hatikhala Girls' High School, Dakhin Pukuria Rashidia Dakhil Madrassah and Char Maslanda Kachari Para

Adarsha Bidya Niketon were affected very seriously.

The nor'westers also damaged Boro crops on about 5,000 hectares of land. Many Boro fields which are now at the ripping stage were damaged.

Over 50 thousand trees including fruit bearing trees were up rooted.

In Bhaluka upazila, about 400 houses were damaged and at least 10 persons were injured. Of the injured -- Kamruzzaman, 25, and Fajila, 35, were admitted at Bhaluka health Complex.

Standing crops, mainly Boro also faced a damage here.

Electricity supply was disrupted for hours together, traffic remained suspended for about five hours as uprooted trees blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

In Bhaluka upazila, 20 educational institutions were affected. Bharadova High School, Bandia

Adarsha High School and Dithpur Ebtadaye Madrassah were badly affected.

The nor'wester also swept over Muktagachha, Trishal, Phulpur, Nandail, Gouripur, Phulbaria, Haluaghat and Iswarganj upazilas.

Torrential rains with heavy wind flooded standing crops mainly in the low-lying areas of the district. The fields of Boro and other summer crops went under water in many areas.

The Boro paddy will take more time to get to ripe if such rainfall continues, said Abdur Razzak, a farmer of the shoal area in Sadar upazila.

BSS reports: At least 30 persons were killed, over 160 were injured crops and properties were substantially damaged from Frequent incidents of nor'wester in 13 northern districts during the last three weeks.