Trees were uprooted, vehicles on road damaged, roads blocked, roofs blown off in Sambalpur as rain accompanied by strong wind created havoc on Thursday afternoon.
At about 4.15 pm, the sky got suddenly black with gusty wind hitting most parts of western Odisha and Sambalpur in particular. There was lightning and ear breaking thundering. Then, began the rain. It was a situation sufficient to create panic in anyone.
And after the rain, the situation was even worse with most of the main roads of the town blocked due to uprooted and broken trees. There was no power supply anywhere. At the same time, damaged vehicles were seen in most parts of the town.
Fortunately Dr Sankar Ramchandani, the renowned doctor of VSSIMSAR cum a social activist got narrowly escaped while his vehicle got totally damaged when a huge branch of a tree came crashing on him. Dr Ramchandani sustained minor injury.
“There are also reports of many people having been injured,” the district emergency office sources informed. However, there is no casualty anywhere, it added.
In side Sambalpur town, the roads near B Ed College hostel, Senpark, Kabarsthan and ring road were totally closed due to uprooted trees and broken branches. However, ODRAF and fire brigades swung into action to bring back normalcy.
The authorities of Wesco also resumed power supply very quickly unlike other times.
In Mahanadi ring road a tree got burnt due to lightning strike. In many cases, roofs of the asbestos and khapara houses had been blown off.
“Severe damages are also reported from Kuchinda sub division. But we are waiting for details from other blocks and sub divisions,” the emergency office sources informed.