The death toll in the thunderstorm in north Bihar rose to 11 on Thursday, prompting the state government to announce ex gratia payments of `1.5 lakh to the next of kin of each dead person and an assessment to begin into the crop loss believed to be about `30 crores.
The severe thunderstorm that lashed north Bihar for hours on Wednesday as a result of western climatic disturbances knocked down hundreds of homes and injured people and cattle in six districts. A wireless tower of the Muhammadpur police station in Gopalganj district collapsed under the storm’s impact and left six policemen injured. Tea plantations on about 10,000 acres in Kishanganj district were badly damaged. CM Nitish Kumar reviewed the damages to homes and crops in a meeting with agriculture department officials.