IMPHAL, April 16 - A windstorm, accompanied by lightning, claimed the lives of three women in Manipur on Monday. Nearly a dozen other people, including students, were injured in the disaster.
Many people were rendered homeless after their houses were destroyed. The power supply line in Churachandpur town was damaged in the storm which lashed across Bishnupur, Kakching and Churachandpur districts around 10 in the morning, official sources said.
In the first incident, two women lost their lives after the house where they were taking shelter during the storm, collapsed at K Salemjang village, located about 7 km north east of Churachandpur town under Samulamlan subdivision of Churachandpur district, sources said. The deceased have been identified as Nemden (74) of Salemjang village and Chinkholhai (50) of Kulbung village.
Another woman identified as Y Nungsitombi (56) of Kakching died when a tree fell on her tea stall at Wairi area in Kakching district.
One old age home building at Kumbi and a school at Kwakta, besides a school for persons with disabilities at Thanga, in Bishnupur district were completely destroyed during the storm. A lot of students also sustained injuries.
Imphal town and Jiribam district bordering Assam also witnessed a short spell of windstorm. A senior district official of Churachandpur district said a total of 2,004 houses located across 199 villages were affected. �Officials are taking steps to restore the power supply,� he added.
Though the NE States have been witnessing moderate to heavy rains and thundershowers since the last two days, Manipur recorded a maximum temperature of 39.4 degree Celsius on Sunday. But Monday�s short spell of rain brought down the temperature to 34 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer PK Singh, in a letter addressed to the Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, on April 15, said that all the district election officers of the State have been advised to take up relief works through the official machinery as per the code of conduct for the ongoing elections.
