Cyclone Dana claims four lives in West Bengal amid severe flooding

The toll from Cyclone Dana has tragically risen to four in West Bengal, with officials confirming two additional fatalities on Saturday. Among the deceased is 31-year-old Chandan Das, a civic volunteer who lost his life after allegedly coming into contact with a live wire while assisting a police team in Bud Bud, Purba Bardhaman district. The incident highlights the dangers posed by the cyclone's aftermath as recovery efforts continue.

In a separate incident, the body of a Howrah Municipal Corporation employee was discovered on a waterlogged road in Tantipara, with preliminary reports suggesting drowning as the cause of death. This tragic event underscores the ongoing peril faced by residents in the flooded areas of the state as water levels remain dangerously high.

The cyclone's impact has been extensive, with initial reports from Friday documenting two electrocution-related deaths: one in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district, and another in the Bhawanipur area of South Kolkata. The severity of the flooding has made it increasingly hazardous for residents to navigate their communities, exacerbating the risks of additional incidents.

Cyclone Dana made landfall on the eastern coast early Friday morning, bringing torrential rains and high winds that uprooted trees and power poles, severely damaging infrastructure and agricultural lands across both Odisha and West Bengal. Wind speeds reached up to 110 km/h during the cyclone's landfall, which occurred at 12:05 AM between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Dhamra in the Bhadrak district of Odisha. As authorities continue to assess the damage and coordinate response efforts, the state remains in a critical recovery phase following this severe weather event.