A high speed dust storm which had swept over a large swathe of north India on Sunday evening claimed one life in Haridwar too. Besides, the operation of the flights through Dehradun airport was disrupted, leaving many passengers inconvenienced. According to the reports received so far, Haridwar bore the maximum brunt of the storm among the districts of Uttarakhand.
The dust storm that had whipped through several parts of north India with a speed of close to 100 kms per hour , leaving loss of several lives and destruction in its wake, hit the district too. It is learnt that a Jwalapur resident died after he was caught in the mud storm. According to police, Rahul was trapped in the storm while he was returning from Roorkee on his two-wheeler with his friend Alok as the pillion rider. He lost control over his two-wheeler near Patanjali Yog Peeth flyover and it had rammed into a barricade, police said. Police rushed to the spot upon being informed by other commuters. However, Rahul succumbed while on his way to the hospital. Police further said that Rahul hailed from Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district. In another incident, a tree fell on a car speeding towards Delhi and two persons sitting in the car were injured.
Meanwhile, the operation of the flights –both landing and takeoff-was disrupted at Jollygrant airport following the storm resulting in several fliers remaining stranded there for hours. Most of the flights flying from Dehradun to Delhi did not take off at the scheduled time and consequently, the landing of the incoming flights was delayed. It is really creating problems for one and all and it is expected that it will continue for the next two days.
Satender Garg of Roorkee who was coming from Delhi said, “As the flight landed late by hours my scheduled meeting over a project with the State Government officials could not have come off. However, the speed of the wind was really scary.”