Agra put on a 72-hour weather alert till Monday  

The Met office, on Friday, put Agra on a 72-hour alert till Monday. The Agra District Magistrate Gaurav Dayal has also issued a detailed advisory to manage any imminent disaster.

This comes after a 132-kmph dust storm hit the city on the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday bringing heavy showers and hailstorm that killed 44 people and destroyed property worth crores.

The doctors at the SN Medical College have conducted postmortem of 44 bodies, who succumbed to injuries. The number of deaths are expected to rise. Agra has witnessed two devastating storms in 20 days. More than 1,400 villages continue to remain without power supply, an official said.

Trains were still running late. Historical buildings, including the Taj Mahal have suffered extensive damages. Two wooden doors of Taj Mahal’s minarets have been damaged and several trees in the mausoleum were uprooted.

Divisional Commissioner K Ram Mohan Rao and Dayal have visited the medical college hospital to review arrangements. A separate ward has been opened there and a dedicated team of doctors has been deputed.

Rao told the medical staff to provide prompt services and ensure there was no lack of medicines.

Dayal along with Special Superintendent Amit Pathak and other senior officials visited several villages in Khairagarh.

A team of officials were deputed to survey affected villages and evaluate loss of property and crop. The district magistrate has promised adequate compensation.