The heavy rain over the past one week and more has claimed more lives and caused further crop loss across the State.

Several parts of Karnataka have been receiving unseasonable rain damaging a variety of summer crops and forcing people to remain indoors in urban areas.

Widespread heavy rain, caused by an upper air cyclonic trough, lashed the State for the second day on Sunday, claiming six lives and extensively damaging standing crops in several districts.

A severe cyclonic storm hit Badarpur at midnight on Friday. The storm damaged a large numbers of houses, trees, electric posts, telephone wires etc in the town and adjacent villages.

- The death toll from Cyclone Ivan in Madagascar has risen to 93 people, while the total number of homeless is 332,391, a statement from the National Office for Disaster and Risk Management said.

A violent hailstorm, accompanied by rains, yesterday hit Sadar upazila of the district, leaving 13 people injured and over 200 houses damaged. Locals said the hailstorm that struck at about 6:30pm also damaged standing crops on a vast track of land during its fury. The 13 people, including five children, were injured as their thatched houses collapsed during the storm. Kamarjani, Kunderpara, Prodhaner Bazar, Jhakurer Bhita, Goghat, Kharjani, Dariapur, Karaibari, Counciler Bazar and Nayagai were among the worst affected 19 villages in the hailstorm.

Speakers at a seminar held at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) yesterday underscored the need for massive afforestation along the coastal belt to reduce damage in natural disasters like cyclone and tidal wave. Held at the conference room of the university, the seminar was presided by Prof Abdul Latif Masum while University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Prof Nazrul Islam was present as chief guest. Speakers stressed on creation of a disaster management department or institute on the campus to build technical hands. They proposed short and long-term initiatives in this regard. Dhaka University (DU) Geography and Environment Department chairman Prof AQM Mahbub presented the key-note paper. Among others, DU Disaster Research Training and Management Centre director Dr AHM Abdul Bukee, DU Geography and Environment Department teacher Prof Nazrul Islam Nazem, Food and Disaster Management joint secretary Pranab Chakrabarty, Dr Mahumudul Islam, expert of Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), SPARRSO principal scientific officer Dr Jinnatul Islam and , PSTU Asstt Prof Golam Rabbani addressed.