Tropical storms have lashed villages in northern Bangladesh, destroying more than 1,000 homes and injuring at least 45 people, a domestic news agency reported Saturday. A tornado hit five farming villages in Tangail district Friday at midnight while storms coupled with hail battered neighboring Jamalpur district four times between Friday night and Saturday morning, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported, according to AP. The storms also knocked down trees and electricity poles, it said. Tangail is 72 kilometers (45 miles) north of the capital, Dhaka, while Jamalpur is 144 kilometers (90 miles) north of Dhaka. The injured were taken to local hospitals, the agency said. Officials could not be immediately reached for comment, and no further details were available. Tropical storms are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation of 144 million people. -- SPA
