Severe northwester coupled with thundershowers lashed various parts of Bangladesh on Tuesday night and Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and injuring over 500.

According to the Bangladesh Observer on Thursday, the northwester accompanied by torrential rains has paralyzed normal life in many areas, including capital Dhaka and its adjacent area.

Most of the 23 victims lost their lives in lightning and house collapse, when the storm brought down thatched houses as well as electricity poles, uproot trees, and damaged the standing crops.

At least 31 people remained missing as boats and trawlers capsized during the stormy weather for the last couple of days.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority suspended launch movement across the country, including the launch terminal in Dhaka, as the Met office asked to hoist cautionary signal number two.

Due to inclement weather, two flights of the state-run Bangladesh Biman airline had emergency landing in Chittagong on Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon respectively.

The northwester also snapped telecommunications in a number of places. Electricity supply was affected as the line got damaged in Dhaka and other areas including the southwestern district Khulna and northeastern district Sylhet.

Meanwhile, the official death toll in Sunday's twin tornadoes disaster in the two northwestern districts Rangpur and Gaibandha so far rose to 52 and nearly 900 people were being treated at different public and private hospitals.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)