Chandigarh, Sep 16 (IANS) A high velocity storm has left at least three people dead and over 50 injured in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, officials said Monday.
Himanshu, a final year student of S.D. College in Chandigarh’s Sector 32, was killed Sunday evening when a portion of the college outer wall collapsed while he was passing by. Another student, Piyush, was injured in the incident.
The wind had speeds ranging from 70 to 105 km per hour.
A young man died when he was trapped under a bus shelter that collapsed in nearby Mohali town.
Another person was killed in Raipur Rani town of Panchkula district in Haryana, 40 km from here, when his motorcycle slipped in the storm.
Over 50 people were injured in the storm that lasted up to nearly an hour in various parts of the region. Most of the injuries were due to wall collapses, trees being uprooted, electricity poles falling and two-wheelers skidding.
The storm left a trail of destruction with uprooted trees, broken branches and bent electricity poles. In many areas, cars were damaged as trees and poles fell on them.
Power supply to several areas of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana was affected through the night.
Traffic was affected in many parts of Chandigarh as uprooted trees and broken branches fell on the roads.
Met officials here said the storm was caused by western disturbances, and could recur over the region.