At least 15 people were killed and 50 others were left injured on Tuesday evening after strong winds of up to 98 km per hour hit parts of West Bengal.

Capital Kolkata and its adjoining areas were worst hit with public transport and traffic being affected, officials said.

Of the 15, seven died in Kolkata, six in Howrah district and one each in Bankura and Hooghly districts respectively, the police said.

Nearly 50 people were injured in incidents of wall collapse, uprooting of trees and electrocution, the police said.

"A nor'wester hit the city with a gale force of 98 km per hour around 7.42 pm," Regional Meteorological Director G K Das said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the chief secretary to look into the situation and prepare a report on the damage and deaths caused by the storm.

The disaster management department has been asked to send teams to affected districts, state secretariat officials said.

Among the seven casualties in the city, an autorickshaw driver and a woman died when a tree fell on the vehicle on Lenin Sarani in central Kolkata, the police said.

Two other passengers of the autorickshaw succumbed to their injuries at a hospital late last night.

Of the six deaths in Howrah, four persons were electrocuted after they were struck by lightning in Bali and Belur areas. One death was reported from Andul road when an electric pole fell on a person who was riding a two-wheeler.

A death of a woman has been reported from Dumurjola area of Howrah district, the police said.

The nor'wester which hit the city with a gale force of 98 km per hour at around 7.42 pm yesterday uprooted 200 trees in 26 places of the city and disrupted traffic, the police said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation soon pressed into service a disaster management team to clear the debris.

Electrical fires were reported from various parts of the metropolis, a fire department official said.

The New Market police station, located in the heart of the city, plunged into darkness following a short circuit during the storm, he said.

People returning home after work faced traffic jams and snarls, as metro and train services were hit. More than 24 trains were running late from Howrah station.

Metro services were disrupted for over two hours from 7.50 pm, a Kolkata Metro Railway spokesperson said.

Eastern and South Eastern Railway sources said suburban train services in Sealdah and Howrah divisions were affected as overhead wires snapped during the storm.

A section of a railing fell on an empty train at Howrah station, the sources said, adding that no one was injured.

Departure and arrival of some flights, too, were delayed because of gutsy winds, airport officials said.

(With PTI inputs)