-- Samir Umarye
BICHOLIM SEPT 12: The cyclonic wind and heavy rains today lashed Bicholim injuring about 5 persons and causing damage to a government school building and houses at Pale Bicholim. According to the available information the cyclonic wind hit Chinchawada Pali at about 11.45 am. The force of the wind was so strong that a school building and several houses were damaged causing loss of property worth more than Rs 2 lakh. In the afternoon when the cyclone took place classes were going on in the Government Primary High school at Chinchawada. Due to the cyclone the roof of the building was damaged and the tiles fell into the classrooms. In the incident the teacher, Sangeeta Marathe and three students including Narayan Jadhav, Alim Sayeed, Deepak Kamble were injured. All the injured were immediately shifted to Primary Health Centre Sanquelim with the help of the emergency service. The teacher, Marathe a student Jadhav who sustained head and leg injuries were later shifted to GMC Bambolim while others were sent home after preliminary treatment. The cyclone also damaged about six houses. The roof top of the houses belonging to Sunanda Naik, Pushpawati Walwoikar, Shankar Gawde, Pandurang Kamat and Usha Morajkar was flown away for almost 100 mts. Another house belonging to Joseph Bareto was damaged as a branch of a tree fell on it. Deputy collector, Arvind Bugde; Mamletdar, Pramod Bhat; ADEI, Ashok Pawshe; Pale sarpanch, MG youth Chief, Mehsh Gawas; Pratap Gawas also visited the site. Mamletdar later instructed the talathis to submit the report of the damage caused due to cyclone.