Sangrur: Squall leaves trail of destruction, 3 killed, nine 220KV towers collapse

Sangrur : A powerful storm that ravaged several areas of the Malwa region on Friday night left a trail of destruction, with three people losing their lives in Sangrur district. The gusty winds also damaged at least nine 220KV power transmission towers, officials said on Saturday.

The storm, impacting Sangrur, Bathinda, Barnala and Patiala districts, caused widespread damage to infrastructure. Additional deputy commissioner (ADC), Sangrur, Amit Bamby said at least nine 220KV power transmission towers and other electricity poles fell due to strong winds across the district leading to power outage.

Three people were killed in the district — two in Dhuri and one in Bhawanigarh. Sangrur deputy commissioner Sandeep Rishi said a Dhuri resident, identified as Charan Singh, died when a tree fell on him, while in a separate incident, Pritpal Singh Vaid, also a native of Dhuri, lost his life when an electricity pole fell on him. The third victim was identified as Gurcharan Singh from Majha village in Bhawanigarh, who died when a poultry farm shed collapsed. This also resulted in the death of around 1,500 chickens.

Three others, identified as Nardeep Singh, Bhola Singh and Jiwa Singh from Dhuri, are injured during the storm and are undergoing treatment at the Dhuri civil hospital. Their condition is said to be stable, the DC added.

Acknowledging the potential impact of rain and storm on the agricultural community, ADC Bamby said: “We are actively assessing the situation in grain markets where wheat procurement is going on. If farmers have suffered losses due to Friday’s storm, we will ensure they receive appropriate compensatory to cover damages.”

Giving details of the infrastructural damage, a superintendent of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), who wished not to be named, said around 200 transformers of 11 KV capacity and 1,200-odd electricity poles were damaged due to the storm, with the estimated financial loss standing at around ₹1.5 crore. He also confirmed the collapse of three 220 KV towers in the Bhawanigarh area.

PSPCL executive engineer Jasbir Singh from the transmission line division in Sangrur, said eight 66 KV towers were affected on Friday – three located on the bypass near the Sangrur-Patiala road and five in the vicinity of the Bhalwan area — resulting in an estimated loss of ₹1.25 crore.

He added that power supply has been “almost restored through alternative sources”. “It would take another four-five days to achieve complete restoration and proper functioning of the power infrastructure,” he added.