People sift through the debris a day after a twister ravaged 20 villages of Brahmanbaria. Photo: Star

Many of a few thousand people of tornado-ravaged villages of Brahmanbaria moved to school buildings Saturday when the body of a 35-year-old woman was recovered and an injured baby succumbed to her injuries, pushing the death toll to 22.

While Yasmin Begum body was recovered 250 yards off her house in Chinair Uttarpara at 5:30am, nine-month-old Sabiha from Chinair Chowdhurybari died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 8:20 last night.

Another man was electrocuted while trying to see the damage from his rooftop as the locals waited for government assistance to start rebuilding their houses.

Besides asking people to move six school buildings, the local administration started setting up tents in 20 villages of three upazilas of the district—Brahmanbaria Sadar, Bijoynagar and Akhaura upazilas.

Hours after the 15-minute twister’s massive destruction that befell on the area at 5:30pm Friday, the shell-shocked locals were seen sitting besides the debris Saturday.

Cutting the debris marched some processions as the affected people arranged burial for the dead victims.

The road and rail communications which were closed after the tornado were opened early Saturday after uprooted trees and wrecked vehicles were removed.

Almost 20 hours after the disaster, the tornado-hit people found something to eat Saturday thanks to the local administration which started to distribute 15 kilograms of rice, four bundles of corrugated iron and Tk 9,000 for each of the affected families.

Rescue operation, conducted by army, Border Guard Bangladesh, Fire Brigade, Rapid Action Battalion and police was wrapped up in the noon as locals failed to say whether anyone was missing.

According to local lawmaker Rabiul Moktadir Chowdhury, 1000 families were affected by the Friday afternoon twister, which also pulled out around 3,500 trees besides damaging crops and killing at least 21 people.

In the morning, some of the victims were seen trying to pull out plastic sheets to put up tents in the most affected villages—Patirhata, Urshiura, Chandi, Chinair, Kodda, Radhika, Bashudev, Badshala in Sadar upazila; Azampur in Akhaura and Merashine in Bijoynagar upazila.

As the district disaster management committee had yet to complete assessment of the damage, many locals from surrounding areas of the tornado-ravaged 20 villages turned up to feed their neighbours.

“While some brought puffed rice, chira and buns, some brought cooked food,” said M Nazmul, 70, a freedom fighter, who was seen distributing the same in Urshiura, Chinair and Patiasar village.

The local administration also started to distribute rice and cooked food after the noon.

Anwar Hossain, 52, whose nephew Lila Begum and sister-in-laws Rkeya Begum and Amena Begum were killed in the twister, said he received half a sack of rice from the local administration.

“While we distributed Tk 6,000 and 2 bundles of corrugated iron from government fund, Dutch Bangla Bank donated Tk 3,000 and 2 bundles of corrugated iron for each of the affected families,” Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Noor Mohammad Majumder told The Daily Star.

Each of the dead victim’s families was given Tk 20,000, he added.

Besides killing people and cattle and ravaging houses, trees and electric poles, the twister damaged all crops on its 8-kilometre trail.

Saying that the government relief is not enough for them, locals urged the authorities to think about their future.

“How can I survive once that I have lost my only cow? They are giving us only today’s food. What about tomorrow, the day after?” said Milon Mia, 30, a farmer of Chinair village.

“We want to stand on our own feet. Please arrange employment for us,” appealed Sentu, 36, a farmer of Chandi village said.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam who hails from the area, told reporters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit the tornado-ravaged villages in a day or two.