Tornado strikes Rangpur’s Gangachara upazila, destroying over 1 200 houses, Bangladesh
A brief tornado struck five unions of Gangachara Upazila in Rangpur District, northern Bangladesh, at around 07:00 LT (01:00 UTC) on October 5, 2025, amid continuous rainfall. The event damaged about 1 200 thatched houses, uprooted hundreds of trees, and injured several residents, according to local authorities.
Satellite image centered over Nilphamari, Bangladesh at 01:00 UTC on October 5, 2025. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud Hasan Mridha said the tornado occurred during heavy rains at around 07:00 LT on October 5, destroying or damaging approximately 1 200 houses and uprooting hundreds of trees across the five unions.
Field observations conducted by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reporters showed widespread structural damage to thatched and tin-roofed homes. In Alambiditor union, resident Md Nazmul Amin said the storm destroyed his house and injured his nine-year-old son, who was later admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Nohali Union Parishad Chairman Md Ashraf Ali estimated that about 400 houses in his union were destroyed, while Alambiditor Union Administrator Aftabuzzaman Chayan reported about 300 houses damaged.
While the tornado caused structural and environmental damage, initial agricultural surveys confirmed that the Aman rice plants remained intact, likely due to their short height and water-saturated soil providing stability against the wind.
A detailed damage assessment is underway.
The tornado formed under unstable monsoon conditions typical of the region, and although it lasted just a few minutes, it is considered rare for October. Tornadoes in Bangladesh occur most frequently during the pre-monsoon season between March and May, though localized events are occasionally recorded later in the year.
As of October 6, no official bulletin or damage summary has been issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) or the Department of Disaster Management (DDM).
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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