Tinsukia, July 19: A man and his son were crushed to death when a tree fell on their house in number 2 Rumai Gabhuru village under Kakopathar police station in Tinsukia district, during a severe storm that ripped through several parts of Upper Assam, already reeling under floods, in the wee hours today.
The area is around 565km east of Guwahati.
The victims were identified as Sanjib Deka, 45, and his eldest son, 15-year old Nobin, a class X student.
His wife, Bobita, 35, and younger son Rohit, 12, a class VIII student, sustained severe injuries and were referred to Assam Medical college and Hospital in Dibrugarh.
Sanjib had got his new house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana a few months ago.
The officer-in-charge of Kakopathar police station, Amulya Gogoi, told The Telegraph, "Around 3am, a major storm hit the area during which a massive tree got uprooted and flattened the house of Sanjib Deka. Sanjib died on the spot, while Nobin died at Doomdooma FRU hospital. Two other family members are critically injured and being treated."
According to sources, the storm has snapped power cables in many areas and several parts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts are facing a power crisis since morning.
"It will take at least 48 hours to restore power supply in the affected areas," an official said. "There are reports of uprooted trees in many parts, mostly village and garden areas. We are assessing the extent of damage," an official in the district administration said.
The officer-in-charge of Doomdoona circle office, Manash Jyoti Nath, said, "As part of immediate relief, the district administration has released Rs 20,000 to the victim's family."
"The government has deputed a magistrate from the Dibrugarh administration to monitor the treatment of the injured. We are making arrangements to release ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased," he added.
In February this year, a similar storm had claimed two lives in the district. Poonam Newar, a class X student, died when an uprooted tree fell on their house in Tokowpathar village in the Pengeri area.
The storm also affected Majuli district for the third time in three months.
The last storm on Monday had damaged over 50 houses and uprooted many trees.
"We are fed up with disasters. Our fight for protection from erosion by the Brahmaputra has been on for three days but this morning, the storm damaged many houses in our village," said Kuladhar Bora of Atoichuk village. "Our never-ending miseries seem to have no solution."
The district administration is also facing trouble in the distribution of relief due to inaccessibility caused by flood and storm, sources added.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINOD KUMAR SINGH IN DHEMAJI
