Cyclonic storm rips Balasore under shutdown, causes extensive damages

The cyclonic storm accompanied by hails that lashed the District uprooted hundreds of trees, mobile towers and electric poles.

Power supply was completely broken down and several key roads of the town were blocked.

The work to clear the roads by cutting trees was underway.

However, no human injuries nor causalities were reported from any part of the district so far.

NESCO Superintendent Engineer BS Parida said, “Hundreds of trees were uprooted and fell on the supply lines."

He said work is going on war footing to cut the trees and erect the poles. The power supply is most likely to be restored by late evening.

The residents of the district remained indoor as the state government declared, shutdown to combat the transmission of Coronavirus after a spike in the number of COVID19 positive cases in the district.

The district administration has intensified contract tracing of people across all blocks and GPs who have returned from West Bengal and started sanitizing the containment zones its adjacent and other vulnerable pockets.

In the meantime, a senior Police officer denied the report that an ASHA worker of Barabati engaged in Neliabag containment zone was attacked by some people and admitted to hospital with her daughter and mother-in-law.

City DSP Manoj Rout said, “It was a fallout of their old family dispute adding that two persons who attacked her have been arrested and forwarded to court.”