Sudden tornado leaves 35 families devastated at Sonagazi

FENI, July 20: A sudden tornado lasting just 40 seconds has left 35 families devastated in Sonagazi Upazila of the district. 

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Madhyama Swarajpur Village under Motiganj Union of the upazila.

The affected residents reported that the tornado struck with a deafening roar that lasted less than a minute, causing extreme panic among the locals. During this time, four electric poles, over a hundred trees, and around 20 small and large houses were blown away. Electric metres belonging to 35 families were also destroyed. The sudden twisting and uprooting of houses, trees, and electric poles have left the victims in deep despair.

An elderly villager, Sahab Uddin, said that in his 70 years of life, he had never witnessed such a tornado. He described the moment as if doomsday had suddenly arrived.

Former chairman of Motiganj Union Parishad, Amin Uddin Dolon, said that upon hearing the news, he rushed to the spot immediately. He witnessed the plight of the victims and estimated that the damage amounted to nearly Tk 1 crore. He added that he had informed the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to seek government assistance for the affected families.

UNO Regan Chakma said that he had received the news. However, as he was attending a meeting with the district administration at the district headquarters, his visit to the site was somewhat delayed.