A severe dust storm accompanied by high-speed winds and thundershowers wreaked havoc in the national capital and its surrounding areas late on Friday night, leaving two people dead and over 20 injured.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the wind speed during the storm ranged between 60 to 70 kilometers per hour, causing widespread disruption across Delhi-NCR.
The sudden onslaught of the dust storm caught residents off guard, with uprooted trees, broken branches, and flying debris causing significant damage to property and vehicular movement.
Delhi Police reported receiving a staggering 152 calls related to fallen trees, 55 calls concerning damaged buildings, and 202 calls regarding power disruptions due to snapped cables.
Tragically, two lives were lost when large trees toppled over during the storm’s ferocity, while six others sustained injuries from the same cause. Additionally, 17 people were hurt due to the structural damage inflicted on buildings by the high-velocity winds.
The Delhi Fire Service also had a busy night, responding to around 130 emergency calls as the storm unleashed its fury across the city.
The eastern districts of Delhi bore the brunt of the storm’s impact, with areas like Shahdara, Ashok Nagar, LIG Flats, Loni Road, Gokulpuri, Jyoti Colony, Saboli, Mandoli, Harsh Vihar, Nand Nagri, Vishwas Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Welcome, Khajuri, Sonia Vihar, and Dwarka Mod witnessing scenes of chaos as trees fell, branches snapped, and tin roofs were blown away.
The storm’s intensity was particularly severe in open and green areas, where the lack of built-up structures allowed the winds to rage unobstructed, causing more damage to vegetation and infrastructure.