Tornado death toll rises to 65 BSS, RANGPUR Mar 26: The death toll rose to 65 as four more persons succumbed to their injuries during the 24 hours ending at 6.00 pm today in the tornado-hit areas of Gaibandha and Rangpur districts, hospital sources said. However, officials received information about 61 deaths so far as it takes some time to get information of death from remote areas and different hospitals. Official sources said normalcy is returning in the tornado- hit areas due to extensive and coordinated relief and rehabilitation work conducted by the concerned government department. More than 1,000 tents have so far been set up by the administration and voluntary organisations for the homeless. Reconstruction of damaged houses are going in full swing in the affected areas of the two districts under the supervision by the ministers in charge of the districts, and administrations. Different political parties and non government organisations are also engaged in relief and rehabilitation work in the affected areas alongside with the government efforts, the sources said. Those who succumbed to their injuries during the past 24 hours are; Amir Hossain, 45, of Dhopadanga village under Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha who died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) this morning. Yusuf Ali, 50, of Dosholia village, Moiran Bewa, 63, of Noldanga Doshani village and Suruzvan, 73, of Pashchim Khamar Dosholia village under Sadullapur upazila of Gaibandha died yesterday. Some 22 injured persons are still in critical conditions at RMCH and other hospitals, hospital sources said. According to the sources, some 55,000 people of 10,900 families have become homeless in the effected areas as the Sunday’s tornado that lasted for five minutes destroyed their houses and property causing colossal damage and misery to the victims. The government has so far allocated over 4,000 bundles of corrugated iron sheets (C.I sheet), Taka 20 lakh, 400 tonnes of rice and other goods for the affected people. The allocations are being increased everyday. Members of Army and BDR have intensified rehabilitation activities and their medicare services in the worst hit 28 villages of the two districts, the sources said. Two tornadoes strike Bangladesh; 37 dead (Agencies) Updated: 2005-03-22 08:58 Two tornadoes tore through northern Bangladesh late Sunday, killing at least 37 people, injuring nearly 1,000 and leaving thousands homeless, officials said Monday. The tornadoes struck almost simultaneously in the same region, blowing away huts in dozens of farming villages in Gaibandha and neighboring Rangpur districts. One tiny village was almost completely obliterated. A Bangladeshi mother takes care of her children injured in a storm in the district of Gaibandha, about 300km (200 miles) from the capital Dhaka, March 21,2005. At least 37 people were killed and 1,000 injured in the violent tropical storm that whipped through northern Bangladesh on Sunday night.[Reuters] One tornado killed at least 33 people, including women and children, and injured 800 in two areas of Gaibandha district, 120 miles north of the capital, Dhaka, the local administrator's office said. The tornado flattened about 700 mud and straw houses. Rescue teams were dispatched to the area. A second tornado swept through neighboring Rangpur district, killing at least four people and injuring about 200, police said. Nearly 500 flimsy huts also were destroyed. In the village of Khamar Doshalia in Gaibandha district, 23 people died and almost all the 900 homes there were leveled, local administrator Saifullahil Azam said. A village headman said 26 people had died. Front Page PM visits tornado-hit areas UNB, Gaibandha Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday visited the tornado--hit areas in Gaibandha and assured her government's all-out support for rehabilitation of the affected people. She said the army already deployed in the affected areas will be distributing relief goods among the affected people so there will be no irregularity and misappropriation of relief. "You're not alone, you are not friendless. Our government and the BNP are now with you and will be with you at the time of your distress," she told the victims of natural disaster in Naldanga and Sadullapur upazilas. Braving inclement weather and drizzles, she distributed cash, CI sheets, lungis and saris among the tornado --hit people at Umesh Chandra High School ground in Naldanga Union of Sadullapur upazila and at Khademul Dakhil Madrasa ground at Anandabazar in Sarbananda Union of Sundarganj upazila. Addressing a rally at Naldanga, the prime minister said as soon as she had heard about this disaster from Singapore, she ordered the administration and the leaders and workers of the BNP to stand by the people and start rescue and relief operations. "I have came here to share your sorrows and express my heartfelt sympathy," Khaleda said, adding that BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman visited the affected places and distributed relief. State Minister for Culture Selima Rahman and Jatiya Party leaders Roushan Ershad MP and TIM Fazle Rabbi MP also addressed the rally at Naldanga. The two JP lawmakers urged the prime minister to start rehabilitation of the homeless people. At least 50 people were killed and 1200 injured in last Sunday's tornado that left a trail of devastation. According to an initial estimate, the inhabitants of the area suffered a financial loss of about Tk1.20 crore in damaged crops and property. A woman cries as she mourns the loss of her son who died in a storm at a village in the northern Bangladeshi district of Gaibandha, 300 km (200 miles) from the capital Dhaka, March 21 ,2005.[Reuters] "I was outside when I heard a loud noise," villager Alim Uddin said as he buried his 70-year-old mother. "I hurried back, but my home was blown away within seconds. Later, I found my mother's body under a wall." Many in the village lost families, cattle and crops as well as their homes. Families huddled together under open skies with whatever was left of their belongings. "We were having our dinner when the storm smashed everything within seconds," said Fahim Uddin, who lost his only daughter. "I have lost everything. Allah, also take me from this world!" Five others died in a village nearby Khamar Doshalia, local official Ahsan Kabir said. At least 70 victims were hospitalized in serious condition with head and chest trauma and limb injuries, surgeon Habibur Rahman said. The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management has sent emergency supplies ? including rice, biscuits and building materials ? to the tornado-hit areas, the government said. The tornadoes blew away or leveled thousands of trees and electricity poles, plunging villages into darkness and hampering rescue work, said Mahbubul Islam of Rangpur. Tropical storms are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation of 140 million people. In April, tornadoes in northern Netrakona district killed at least 74 people and injured nearly 1,000 others, authorities said. Front Page Tornado kills 20 in northwest Over 500 injured, many still missing BDNEWS, Gaibandha At least 20 people were killed and more than 500 injured when a severe nor'wester lashed the northwestern districts of Rangpur and Gaibandha last night. Of the dead, 18 were killed in Gaibandha and the rest two in Rangur. The conditions of 15 injured people were stated to be critical. The tornado razed hundreds of thatched houses to the ground, uprooted trees and snapped electric supply in Sadullahpur and Sundarganj upazilas of Gaibandha and Mithapukur of Rangpur. Hundreds of injured locals were rushed to different health complexes and hospitals. The nor'wester struck at around 8:30pm, most savagely at Noldanga area in Sadullahpur and Dhopadanga in Sundarganj of Gaibandha, and Mithapukur, Pirganj, Mirzapur and Haripur of Rangpur. Most of the people were killed being crushed under collapsed houses and trees. Standing crops, including paddy, in the affected areas were severely damaged, according to preliminary reports. Rescue operations were launched at 10:00pm, with top officials of local administration and police rushing to the areas. Our Gaibandha correspondent reports: The tornado followed by a hailstorm tore down over 500 houses and uprooted numerous trees and electric poles in three unions under Sadullahpur and Sundarganj upazilas in the district. The road communication between Sundarganj and Gaibandha was cut off by fallen trees. Rescue operations, mainly by Gano Unnayan Kendro, a non-governmental organisation, fire brigade and police, in the devastated Naldanga, Khamar Dashalia and Dhopadanga areas were badly hampered by the snapped electricity supply. Sadullahpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saifullahil Azam confirmed the deaths of nine persons in his upazila. But, the death toll may rise, locals said, as many villagers were still trapped in the wreckage. Sirajul Islam, 41, a teacher at Khamar Dashalia Madrasa was killed as the madrasa hostel collapsed. Four students of the madrasa were still missing. At midnight, Gaibandha Sadar Hospital was jam-packed with tornado victims. There a severely wounded Momena Begum of Tupamari village in Naladanga union said her 42-year-old mother, Jamila, had perished under their collapsed house. Of the dead, another two were identified as Abdul Mannan, 45, and Tofazzal Hossain, 38. A 5-year-old kid was also killed. Tornado toll hits 40 Some 1,000 wounded, thousands homeless in Gaibandha, Rangpur Star Report Some 8,000 people are living out in the open in four upazilas of Gaibandha and Rangpur districts with the death counts in Sunday night's devastating tornado climbing to 40 yesterday. About 1,000 were injured in the twister that ravaged more than 30 villages of the two northern districts. The tornado lashed three unions in Sadullapur and Sundarganj upazilas killing 36 people and injuring over 600, our Gaibandha correspondent reports. House collapse caused most of the deaths while several others died when big trees fell on them. The 16-minute storm left a trail or devastation across 15 square kilometre area in the two upazilas. It flattened almost all thatched houses in the areas. The worst affected areas are Dakkhin Dashalia in Sadullapur where 18 people were killed. Eight labourers were buried alive under bricks when the chimney of a brick kiln in Dashalia village collapsed during the twister. Several thousand people of the affected villages, rendered homeless by the tornado, passed last night under open sky and without food, said a victim of village Kishamat Hamid. The storm smashed all the huts in the village within a couple of minutes, he added. The survivors recovered 14 bodies from under the collapsed houses and sent the injured people to different hospitals and health complexes. The dead were identified as Shahera Khatun, 31, Abdul Gafur, 65, Mozaher, 42, Nurun Nahar, 31, Swadhin, 20, Liton, 28, Hamid, 42, Tofajjal, 40, Monalisa, 5, Santona, 25, Ranju, 22, Alamgir, 18, Rozina, 23, Anju Ara, 35, Chand Mia, 33, Fulmoti, 30, Rubina, 55, Shamsel, 40, Sirajul Master, 45, Sathi, 12, Jobayed, 44, Khaibar, 20, Ajan Ali, 33, Liton Chandra, 15, Anju Ara, 26, Dulali, 22, Masuda Akhter, 26, Mukti, 15, Rina, 20, Arjina, 60, Shahera, 43, Rubila, 55, Jannati, 22, Kamrunnaher, 25, Nawab Ali, 60, Sarvan Bibi, 55. Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Sadullapur confirmed the death of 23 people in the upazila while UNO of Sundarganj put the death figure at 12. District administration allocated Tk 1,500 for burying each of the dead. The tornado victims badly need food and medicare services, said Ismail Hossain, chairman of Naldanga union. A total of 230 injured were admitted to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital while 10 critically wounded people sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. As the hospitals are crammed with injured people, the doctors and nurses cannot take proper care of each of them. Asadul Habib Dulu, deputy minister for food and disaster management, visited the affected areas and ordered officials to extend all possible help to the victims. Our correspondent from Rangpur adds: Four people were killed and several hundred others injured in the tornado that swept 17 villages in Pirgachha and Mithapukur upazilas Sunday night. Around 5,000 families in the affected areas were rendered homeless as the storm razed their houses to the ground within 10 minutes from 7:00pm. Three of the dead were identified as Shadzaman Khondaker, 17, of Madhyapara village in Mithapukur upazila, Chhaka, 45, and Abdul Aziz, 22, of Majhipara Kandirhat in Pirgachha. Another injured person succumbed to his injuries at Mahiganj while he was being taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital but his identity could not be known. Most of the victims were injured in house collapse and when tress fell on them. The critically injured people were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital and local health complexes. Hospital sources said the condition of more than a hundred injured still remain critical. While visiting the tornado-hit areas in Pirgachha and Mithapukur upazilas yesterday, this correspondent found a trail of devastation left by the storm. Almost all thatched houses were razed to the ground in Deulpara, Haripur, Muradpur, Arifpur, Imadpur Chhoto Krishnapur and Porabash of Mithapukur upazila. Apart from houses, a large number of schools and madrasas were damaged by the storm. Visiting the affected areas in Mithapukur, the deputy minister for food and disaster management said the government has sanctioned Tk 1 lakh and 100 bundles of tin (corrugated iron sheets) for the victims in Mithapukur. Besides, Tk 3 lakh and 300 bundles of tin were sanctioned for the victims in Gaibandha district, he said. The tornado-hit villagers of Imadpur complained yesterday that they did not get any relief materials. A young girl walks in the debris of her tornado-hit Noldanga home in Gaibandha district yesterday. The twister killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000, ravaging about 30 villages in Gaibandha and Rangpur districts on Sunday night. PHOTO: AFP Tornado victims in crying need of food, medicine Death toll rises to 48 Star Report The victims of Sunday's devastating tornado in four upazilas of Gaibandha and Rangpur districts are in crying need of food, medicine and shelter with the death count in the devastating twister reaching 48 yesterday. Eight more people died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) yesterday. They were identified as Sahidul, 40, Jesmin, 10, Samsuzzoha, 12, Sarubala, 60, Saka, 35, Sorbanu, 80, Momena, 32, and Zannati, 6, all hailed from Gaibandha. The RMCH and other local hospitals are still crammed with the injured. Government and non-government medical teams are working in the affected areas but the victims and their relatives complained of inadequate treatment facilities. A few tornado-hit people managed to erect makeshift sheds with CI sheets but others are still living under open sky. Foods and other relief materials distributed so far among the victims have proved inadequate. The tornado that swept Sundarganj and Sadullapur of Gaibandha and Mithapukur and Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur on Sunday night devastated as many as 30 villages, injuring more than 1,000 people. The tornado-hit areas in Gaibandha turned into a human sea as relatives of the affected people, rescue workers, medical teams and journalists rushed to the villages to see the devastation and help the victims. MEDICAL TEAMS A 28-member medical team of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has been working in Gaibandha to extend medical services to the injured. During the last two days the team provided treatment to 154 patients, BDR Captain Tanveer said. Another 8-member army medical team led by Captain Masud is providing medical treatment in the affected areas, our Gaibandha correspondent reports. Bangladesh Medical Association members from Bogra, Rangpur and Gaibandha in cooperation with district health administration will begin today a weeklong intensive medical camp in the tornado-hit areas. Tarique Rahman, senior joint secretary general of BNP, visited Naldanga in Gaibandha yesterday and distributed 10 kg of rice and Tk 2,000 in cash among each of the one thousand tornado-hit families. He also distributed Tk 10,000 to each of the families of the dead. Islam Shipbuilders, a private commercial operator of Bangladesh Railway, waived train fare for the tornado victims and the rescuers for their free movement between Naldanga and Gaibandha stations. NGOs and voluntary organisations including Bangladesh Extension Education Services, RDRS, Gano Unnayan Kendro, Leprosy Care Project and Jibita Bangladesh have been working to help the distressed people since Sunday night. The government, meanwhile, sanctioned 100 tonnes of rice, 1500 bundles of CI sheets and Tk 5 lakh in cash for the affected people. About 5,000 families of Imadpur and Mirzapur unions under Mithapukur upazila who lost their homes are still passing days in the open. Upazila administration is distributing CI sheets and cash among the victims, though the amount was too small. INADEQUATE TREATMENT The condition of at least 12 fatally injured patients undergoing treatment at the Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) was stated to be critical. Relatives of the injured complained that the RMCH authorities did not take proper care of the patients. Many of them are lying at the hospital without treatment. Jahedul, a six-year-old boy from Naldanga union of Sadullapur upazila, is still lying unconscious on the floor of Ward no 10 at the RMCH. His father Jamir complained that the doctor visited him only once in the last 24 hours. Kazli, 20, of Dhopadanga village under Sundarganj upazila, whose left leg was fractured, complained that she did not receive any treatment even after 30 hours of her admission. She was seen groaning in pain. Hospital sources said there is an acute scarcity of lifesaving medicines at the hospital and so the doctors advised the attendants of the patients to buy them from outside. But Bokul of Dasalia village of Naldanga said they are too poor to buy medicines from outside. Almost all the victims are from poor families. RMCH Assistant Director Mostafizur Rahman however denied the allegation and told The Daily Star that the hospital authorities were trying their level best to provide proper treatment to the injured. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management Asadul Habib Dulu visited the injured patients at RMCH on Monday night. He directed the hospital authorities to take proper care of the patients.