This story is from October 16, 2013

15 killed, power supply snapped in Bihar

Altogether 15 persons died and many districts in the state plunged into darkness as power supply was snapped due to strong wind and heavy rain caused in the state by cyclone 'Phailin' during the past three days.
15 killed, power supply snapped in Bihar

PATNA/MUZAFFARPUR/PURNIA/SITAMARHI: Altogether 15 persons died and many districts in the state plunged into darkness as power supply was snapped due to strong wind and heavy rain caused in the state by cyclone 'Phailin' during the past three days.
While four deaths were reported from Vaishali, the districts of Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani and Buxar claimed two deaths each.
Three persons, including two children, died in Samastipur district in the last 48 hours. Several cattle heads are also reported to have perished in different parts of the districts. Several trees were uprooted and power supply to most of the villages remained disrupted since Sunday morning.
According to reports, Nathuni Singh (45) was killed at village Kon-Bajitpur under Samastipur Mufassil police station area when his thatched house caved in under the impact of wind and rain. Two children identified as Poonam (5) and Sonu (7) were killed at village Belsandi under Bithan police station when the house they were sleeping, collapsed.
Entire Muzaffarpur town remained in darkness for nearly 40 hours till Tuesday evening following strong wind and heavy rain which left a trail of destructions including house collapse, waterlogging, falling of trees and drinking water scarcity due to power failure in the district. Over 50 electric poles were uprooted, according to an electrical engineer. Trees fell on electric wires at dozens of places. Electric supply network through 11kV line was virtually shattered across Muzaffarpur district. Although power went off around Sunday midnight, repair work was started only on Tuesday morning as line restoration could not be taken up during rain that continued till Monday evening.

The power outage across Purnia district has been the worst spin off from the cyclonic wind and rainfall, which swept through the entire Purnia and Kosi divisions on Sunday night and Monday.
Purnia DM Manish Kumar Verma on Tuesday said hundred of trees were uprooted resulting in complete shutdown in power supply. "Though steps have been initiated to resume power supply in some localities in the town by Tuesday evening, it will take no less than 24 hours or more for being normal," he said. The district towns of Katihar and Madhepura were also passing through prolonged shutdowns lasting more than 36 hours, sources said. The gusty winds and torrential rain disrupted power supply across all seven districts in Purnia and Kosi divisions.
Purnia recorded the season's heaviest rainfall of 203.1mm during the last 48 hours. The fallout of the Phailin has been inundation of many areas across the towns in seven districts in these two divisions. Several residential localities in Purnia, Saharsa, Kishanganj, Madhepura and Katihar were waterlogged and turned into veritable ponds. Localities like Salamatnagar, Binodpur, Gandhinagar, High School Para in Katihar are under three to four feet of water on Monday following pelting rain.
Contrary to Met officials forecast, the areas close to Nepal as well as the Himalaya have so far been spared the ordeal of floods. The discharge levels of Kosi were pegged at 1,23,920 and 89,500 cusecs at the Bhimnagar barrage, near Birpur and Barahkhestra in Nepal at 1pm on Tuesday. "There has only been marginal upsurge so far but there is absolutely nothing to panic about," said Kosi circle superintending engineer M P Thakur.
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