Two women and a minor boy died as a 12-minute-long storm wreaked havoc at 20 villages of two unions in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon district on Saturday morning.
The two-and-a-half-year-old boy drowned in accumulated rainwater.
The deceased were identified as the minor boy Nayum, Farida Begum, 40, and Jaheda Bagum, 50.
Farida was discovered underneath the wreckage of their tin-shed roof. She was brought to the Baliadangi Upazila Health Complex, where doctors pronounced her dead.
Jaheda Begum was sitting on the veranda during the storm.
Her husband, Dabirul Islam, said his wife had been ailing for a long time and had most likely suffered a stroke due to panic during the storm.
Nayum's father, Nazmul Islam, said his child drowned after falling into a water-filled ditch near their home.
Besides, most parts of the district are experiencing power shortages.
The storm struck abruptly about 5am and lasted 10 to 12 minutes, causing the most havoc in Baliadangi Upazila, particularly in the Paria and Duoshuo unions, affecting 20 villages.
Homes and trees were damaged, affecting more than a hundred households.
The storm also hit 12 villages in Paria Union, including Tilkora, Shaldanga, Bangavita, Lohara, and Bamunia, and eight villages in Borobari Union, including Belhara, Belbari, Botarhat, and Horipur.
Five shops and two restaurants in the Adardighi bazaar in Borobari Union were damaged by falling trees.
Fazlur Rahman, the headmaster of Loharagada High School, said that the storm destroyed the tin roof of their school's hall room. A tree fell on an electric pole at the school's entrance, blocking the road to Bangavita and obstructing traffic.
Kamrul Islam, assistant general manager of the Baliadangi Zonal Office of Palli Bidyut Samiti, said that over 40 electric poles were either uprooted or damaged, with trees falling on power lines, leading to widespread power cuts. He assured that efforts are underway to repair the poles and restore electricity.
Baliadangi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Afsana Kawsar stated that the UP chairman and local officials are assessing damage in the affected districts.
Thakurgaon-2 constituency MP Principal Mazharul Islam Sujon visited the devastated areas to express his sympathies and assure the families that he will support them.
