A storm tore past the eastern Tarai region on early Wednesday morning, killing at least three people, destroying crops worth millions of rupees and leaving hundreds of homes powerless.

The districts in Province 2 were severely affected. Three persons died in storm-related disasters in Dhanusha, Siraha and Mahottari districts.

Police said Dukhi Ram Tatma, 58, of Kshireshwor Municipality-5, Dhanusha; Saguni Mahato, 75, of Michaiya Municipality, Siraha; and Phul Badan Devi, 35, of Gaushala Municipality-12, Mahottari, died when their homes collapsed in the storm.

The storm also disrupted electricity supply in several districts after the power lines were downed by strong wind, while crops grown on several hectares of land were flattened. Ramchandra Yadav, the agriculture development officer in Siraha, said nearly 75 percent of mango groves in the district were destroyed.

The District Agriculture Development Office had earlier made an estimation of producing 67,200 metric tonnes of mango this year. Yadav said mango farmers have been greatly affected with more than half of the mango farms destroyed. The office plans to appeal the central government to provide relief to the affected farmers.The ongoing preparations in Janakpur for the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also hit by Wednesday morning’s storm. Welcome gates built at various points of the town were uprooted, and Rangabhumi Maidan, the ground where Modi is scheduled to receive a civic reception, was flooded.