A nor'wester has caused extensive damage in Cumilla, disconnecting electrical connections in all 17 upazilas.
The gusty winds uprooted electric poles, damaged transformers and metre boxes, leaving customers without power for hours.
The disaster has had a direct impact on the ongoing SSC exams. Students had to sit for the exams in the dark, using charger lights and candles as many centers were without electricity during the exams held on Tuesday morning, causing extreme suffering.
The Rural Electrification Board said that these electrical connections will be repaired very soon. However, the repair work is being delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
During the two-day nor'wester, six upazilas --Adarsh Sadar, Sadar Dakshin, Lalmai, Chauddagram, Burichang and Brahmanpara - suffered extensive damage.
Senior General Manager of Cumilla Rural Electrification Association-2 Dilip Chandra Chowdhury said that as of 9PM on Tuesday, a total of 71 electric poles had been broken by the storm. As many as 550 metre boxes were broken and damaged. Trees fell on electric connections at least in 1,025 spots and wires were snapped at 738 spots.
A total of 27,000 customers were disconnected due to damage to 35 transformers in six upazilas.
Meanwhile, reports of extensive damage to the power supply system have also been received in Chandina, Debidwar, Murad Nagar and Barura upazilas of Rural Electrification Association-1. Customers in these areas were left without power for about eight hours on Tuesday morning due to the nor’wester. Later, at 5PM, the main connection to the national grid was repaired, said rural electricity officials.
