Calcuttans who lost their lives to storm ....Accounts of how some city residents lost their lives

An electric pole that fell during Wednesday’s storm near Maniktala ESI Hospital. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

Monalisa Chaudhuri, 23.05.20, Calcutta: Nineteen people have died in the city as a result of the destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan on Wednesday. Metro tracked and found how some of these citizens had died — on the roads or in their homes.

In Bengal, the death toll rose to 86 on Friday. Twenty-eight of the victims were electrocuted, 22 crushed under trees, 21 hit by collapsed walls, seven buried under debris of houses, three drowned, two knocked down by uprooted lamp posts and one was bitten by a snake.

Two of the victims are suspected to have succumbed to electric shock.

Some of the deaths in the city

Md Tahid Alam, 28, Noor Ali Lane, Beniapukur: Alam was closing his tailoring shop in Mistrypara Lane, not far from his home, around 6pm when he was electrocuted while pulling down the shop’s iron shutter, police said.

He was closing his shop and planning to go home to escape the cyclone, an officer said.

Yusuf Khan, 47, Ripon Street, Park Street: Khan was found dead in a waterlogged street in front of his home. Police said he was electrocuted in the water that came in contact with a live wire. His family members are in Bihar.

Meher Jansar, 45, Tiljala Masjid Bari Lane, Karaya: A homemaker and a mother of two, Jansar died after a portion of their tiled roof collapsed and a tile hit her head, police said. Her family members — husband, a son and a daughter — were inside the house when the roof collapsed but they escaped unhurt.

Unidentified male, in his 40s, near Calcutta Club: The man was found floating in knee deep water on the road in front of the club, near the Exide crossing.

The police said the preliminary post-mortem report suggested the presence of liquor in his stomach. The exact cause of death has yet to be ascertained, an officer said.

A tree being removed near Srimani Market to clear Bidhan Sarani on Friday.

Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

Unidentified male, in his 40s: He was found dead on the footpath along Gokhale School, crushed under an uprooted footpath railing.

Rahul Adhikary, in his late 20s, Kashmohal Street, Maniktala: Adhikary was found lying on the road. The police said a preliminary investigation suggested that he had been electrocuted after coming in contact with an electricity feeder box.

Family members have told the police that he had stepped out after the cyclone had receded to collect money from someone.

Golam Khalid, 44, Anjuman Road, Beniapukur: Khalid had stepped out around 9pm to relieve himself at a community toilet near his home when he got electrocuted, police said. Officers said he had either come in contact with an electrocuted wall or a live wire.

Sahadad Beg, 24, Sir Syed Ahmed Road, Beniapukur: Beg was found dead near a lamp post close to his home around 7pm. Police said he was electrocuted after touching the lamp post.