GAIBANDHA, May 18: A sudden and severe nor'wester swept through Sundarganj Upazila on Monday morning, causing widespread damage to educational institutions, crops and power infrastructure, local sources said.
Local residents said the storm struck unexpectedly in the early hours of the day with strong gusty winds and heavy rainfall, creating panic among people. Large trees were uprooted in different parts of the upazila and fell onto roads, blocking vehicular movement and causing severe public suffering.
One of the worst-hit institutions was Sundarganj Balika High School, where a 35-year-old banyan tree was uprooted by the storm and crashed onto the school premises. The huge tree damaged the school's office room and at least four classrooms, leaving parts of the building badly twisted and shattered.
Witnesses said trees also fell on roads in Hospital Road, Gazir Kura Alutari and several nearby areas, bringing transportation to a standstill for hours. Commuters and local residents faced immense difficulties as roads remained blocked by fallen branches and debris.
The storm also triggered a major power outage across the municipality. A giant banyan tree reportedly collapsed onto electric poles from Bahirgola intersection to the bypass road, breaking several poles and disconnecting power lines.
As a result, the entire municipal town and adjacent areas were left without electricity.
Golam Mostafa Babu, a resident of the municipality, said many educational institutions and houses suffered damage during the storm.
"Several electric poles collapsed at different points, leaving the whole area without power," he said.
As of filing this report, the exact amount of damage caused by the sudden disaster could not be assessed.
Attempts to contact local administration officials for comments were unsuccessful.
