A fierce Kalbaisakhi storm wreaked havoc in Nasirnagar, leaving a trail of destruction that saw at least 40 houses razed to the ground and the local power grid crippled.
The tempest's ferocity shattered rural electricity infrastructure, with approximately 10 electricity poles and numerous transmitters bearing the brunt of its fury.
When the storm hit on Sunday night, it brought down transmission lines and toppled trees, leaving large areas of the region in complete darkness. As the disaster tore through the upazila's Sadar Union, Nasirpur, Datmandal, Dhankura, Kulikunda, and Mannarpur areas, an estimated 65,000 people were left without power.
According to preliminary reports, the storm's wrath tossed tin roofs several kilometres from their original positions, leaving homes vulnerable to the weather. The amount of damage was increased when a number of stores and chicken farms were struck by the storm's fury in addition to residential buildings.
Additionally, ancient trees, some dating back centuries, succumbed to the tempest's force, their age-old roots uprooted in a display of nature's unforgiving power.
According to reports from the Upazila Project Implementation Officer's office, the extent of damage was widespread, with nine houses in Nasirnagar bearing the brunt of the storm's fury: three in Kulikunda, 10 in Datmandal, five in Nasirpur, four in Dhankura, and up to 10 in both Mannarpur and Burishwar villages.
Meanwhile, efforts to restore power faced significant hurdles as rural electricity infrastructure sustained severe damage, with around 10 poles of the 33 KB line rendered inoperative by the storm. Tree debris littering power lines exacerbated the challenge, resulting in a complete outage across the upazila.
Engineer Amjad Hossain, Zonal Manager of the Nasirnagar Rural Electricity Association, highlighted the magnitude of the restoration efforts, noting the widespread damage inflicted upon poles and meters. Despite concerted efforts to initiate repairs, disruptions to the 33 KV power transmission line persisted, leaving customers grappling with prolonged electricity shortages, especially during nighttime hours.
