At approximately 11 pm local time, 13 April 2010, a severe storm struck parts of Bangladesh and eastern India.

[4] According to local officials the storm was an extreme nor'wester commonly formed over the Bay of Bengal during the hot months of the year.

[15] Radar equipment which could have provided early warning had arrived in the area, but had not yet been installed because the building to house it was still under construction.

[11] West Bengal regional weather office director Gokul Chandra Debnath said that the heatwave "could have been a catalyst ... that triggered the tornado".

[15] The storm struck in northeastern parts of West Bengal and Bihar states, with winds estimated from 120 to 160 kilometres/hour (75–100 miles/hour), then moved into Bangladesh.

[6][11] The strong winds uprooted trees, displaced roof tops, and snapped telephone and electricity lines.

[22] Rescue efforts have been inhibited as many roads, including National Highway 34, are blocked by downed trees and telephone poles.

[11] Aid workers began to distribute rice, dried fruits, water, and temporary tarpaulin shelters on 15 April.

[23] On 16 April, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced an ex gratia payment Rs 100,000 to the next of kin to persons killed in the storm.

[24] All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Sudip Bandopadhyay agreed and added that the CPM was "more involved in state terrorism" against political opponents than distribution of aid.

[19] Families of the deceased are also receiving money to pay for last rites plus an ex gratia payment of Rs 150,000 from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

[27] On 16 April, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee called for the firing of Minister for Disaster Management Devesh Chandra Thakur, who was reportedly on vacation and had not visited the affected areas.

[28] On 22 April, the INC announced that it would distribute food and other relief to storm victims in the Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria, and Supaul districts.

[29] In West Bengal, Civil Defense Minister Srikumar Mukherjee is personally overseeing rescue efforts.

[30] Mukherjee admit state government was struggling to distribute food rations, blaming insufficient manpower for the delay.

[5] Storm victims angry about the slow rate of aid distribution quickly turned to demonstrations and violence.

[30] In Hemtabad, angry villagers attacked the block development building and shut down the Raiganj-Balurghat state highway for 30 minutes.

[23] Accusations of corruption were made in Karandighi and Raiganj, with some storm victims claiming they received only part of their promised relief payments.

"[31] Just after noon on 16 April, an angry mob attacked Panchayat Pradhan Badal Singh and began to beat him.

[25] Three sub-inspectors were badly beaten and two police vehicles pushed into a ditch before the crowd was dispersed with tear gas and shots fired into the air.

[25] District magistrate Ramanuj Chakrabarty claimed that "the distribution of relief has picked up" and that the attack "was politically motivated.