Dhaka: At least 14 people were killed when a powerful storm lashed northern and northwestern parts of Bangladesh, disrupting normal life in the region.
"Six people were killed as the afternoon storm called `kalboishakhi` (nor`wester) lashed the Notrokona district," a district administration official told PTI over phone.
"The deceased include a mother and her three minor sons who were crushed to death as the tin roof of their house collapsed last night during the storm," he said, adding the storm lasted for an hour in the area.
"The storm also killed three others, burying them alive under their collapsed huts," the official said.
The storm swept through northeastern Sunamganj area, killing four people early this morning. Ferry services were suspended in the northwestern Bangladesh.
"A fisherman was killed on the river as a thunderbolt accompanying another storm occurred in the western Goalanda region," he said.
An intercity train heading towards northwestern Dinajpur narrowly escaped a possible tragedy as the storm hit while it was crossing the Bangabandhu bridge over the Jamuna river dividing central Bangladesh with northwestern region at around midnight yesterday.
The storm derailed nine of the 13 coaches of the train on the middle of the bridge while witnesses said it was due to sheer luck the train did not fall into the river.
It forced authorities to suspend the railway services between the northwest and southwestern region and said the services may resume later this evening.
The nor`wester storm is a seasonal phenomenon which appears in Bangladesh and adjacent parts of neighbouring India in early summer period.
