Imphal, May 14 2009: Atleast two persons have been killed while others left wounded in a devastating squall (high velocity storm) that swept over different parts of the State last night leaving behind a trail of destruction.

The velocity of the squall measuring 56 km/per erupted just before the clock struck 10 last night and continued to wreak havoc for more than half an hour.

21-year old Lairikyengbam Romesh s/o Kumar of Nambol Phoijing was killed on the spot when a large tree growing near the gate of Medical Directorate office at Lamphel was uprooted by the squall and fell on him last night.

Romesh was one of the labourers engaged in the ongoing work of the Imphal Sewerage Project and was staying in a makeshift shed here.

The other victim has been identified as 47-year old Leimapokpam Sarat s/o late Ibomcha of Haoreibi Awang Leikai.

Though there is no official report of his death with the police, according to information received by the press he was struck by lightening while he trying to repair the roof of his granary located behind the house.

Sarat was rushed to Shija Hospital, but breathed his last enroute.

Besides causing destruction to houses and school buildings, the high speed storm also uprooted trees and broke down branches at different parts of Imphal East and West District leading to a complete black out even in VVIP areas of the twin district capital as power lines were snapped owing to falling of objects, particularly trees.

In Nongmaiching Heikon village of Senapati district, the squall completely ravaged atleast six houses out of 26 households affected.

Six Yongchak trees have also been reportedly uprooted in the storm.

When a team of media-persons visited the village today, the villagers most of whom are daily wage earners and whose houses have been damaged or blown off could be observed salvaging their belongings from among the debrises with sadness on the faces.

The houses that suffered maximum impact of the storm include that Sitlun Haokip, Letpou Lungdim, Letkholet Lungdim and Keikhulin Lungdim.

Most of the destroyed houses were costtructed of wood and mud with tin-roofed.

The villagers have also appealed to the Govt for providing necessary relief measures.

The roofs of the school buildings and residential houses have also been reportedly blown away in the storm at Lamlai, Napet, Chalou, Nongada, Tellou, etc under Lamlai A/C.Volunteers of Youths Foundation for Fitness and Serice, Manipur (YOFFS) have distributed relief materials among the affected people of the Constituency toay.

The fury of the storm had also left its marks at Andro, Thongju, Khundrakpam, Nambol, Thoubal, Lamshang and Patsoi where roof of many houses blown away, trees fallen and electrical posts flatten.

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