DACCA: A severe nor’wester swept over the city and its suburbs this evening [April 14] killing at least six persons and injuring over 800 others. The nor’wester (Kal-Baishakhi), reaching a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour on the first day of the Bengali new year, brought disaster to a large part of the city and adjoining areas.

Many of the injured here rushed to the Dacca Medical College Hospital where, a hospital source said, 680 of them were treated while three died of their injuries. Others, numbering 140 persons, were treated at the Salimullah (Mitford) Hospital, where three more persons succumbed to their injuries.

The GOC and Martial Law Administrator Zone B, Maj-Gen Muzaffaruddin, visited the Dacca Medical College Hospital and Salimullah Hospital where he saw some of the injured persons. The dead and injured were brought to the hospital in ambulances, trucks and buses from the affected parts of the city and suburbs.

The cyclonic storm caused havoc in the Tej­gaon, Malibagh, Rampura Khilgaon, Saver and Basavo areas. The storm, which lasted for 25 minutes, caused serious damage to the kutcha houses in the Bustee areas and tin sheds were blown off causing injuries to hundreds of people Many trees also were uprooted. — Agencies

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2019