Fani kills 16 in Bangladesh

At least 16 people, including two children, were killed and dozens others injured on Friday and Saturday as cyclonic storm Fani has unleashed its weak force on Bangladesh, according to UNB.

Fani which once turned into a very severe cyclonic storm entered Bangladesh’s south-western part as a cyclone storm on Saturday morning.

It later weakened into a land deep depression before moving in a north-northeasterly direction further inland.

Of the deceased, six people were killed after being struck by lightning in three upazilas of Kishoreganj on Friday when the country felt the peripheral impact of the once very severe cyclone while the rest of the deaths were reported from Barguna, Noakhali, Bhola, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Lakshmipur and Chapainawabganj districts.

Those killed in Kishoreganj thunderbolt strikes are Sumon Mia, 7, son of Ebad Mia of Kurarkandi village in Mithamain upazila; Moinuddin, 22, son of Md Golap Mia of Biramchar village; Asad Mia, 45, son of Ali; Nurunnahar, 30, daughter of Halim Uddin; Mujibur Rahman, 45, son of Inchan of Pakundia upazila; and Rubel Das, 26, son of Rakesh Das of Kathuir village in Itna upazila.

Md Jakir Rabbni, officer-in-charge of Mithamain police station, said a thunderbolt hit Sumon while returning home with cattle from the field, killing him on the spot.

Farmer Mohiuddin was stuck by lightning while harvesting paddy in the field. He, too, died on the spot, the OC added.

Md Elias, officer-in-charge of Pakundia police station, said a thunderbolt hit Asad when he was cutting grass in the afternoon, killing him instantly.

Besides, Nururnahar and Mujibur were struck by thunderbolt while going to their neighbours’ house in the afternoon, the OC added.

Md Murshed Jaman, officer-in-charge of Itna police station, said Rubel was struck by a thunderbolt while returning home from field around 12:00pm, leaving him critically injured.

Later, he was taken to the Upazila Health Complex where the physicians pronounced him dead, the OC added.

In Barguna, a woman and her grandchild were killed when their house was torn apart by stormy wind in Charduani village of Patharghata upazila around 2:30am on Saturday.

The deceased are Nurjahan, 60, and Jahidur, 8, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Jakir Hossain.

In Noakhali, a two-year-old boy, Md Ismail, son of Abdur Rahman, was killed in a tree collapse at Char Aminul Haque village in Subarnachar upazila around 10:30pm on Friday, said Iqbal Hasan, a project implementation officer (PIO).

Around 50 people were injured and hundreds of houses damaged at Char Wapda and Char Jabbar unions during the storm.

The injured were taken to Subarnachar Upazila Health Complex.

Meanwhile, Najmun Nahar, 12, from Kankra union, was killed after a tree branch fell on her during the storm around 9:00am on Saturday, said Companiganj UNO Faysal Ahmed.

In Bhola, housewife Rani Begum was killed after their house collapsed during the storm at Poralia village in Sadar upazila on Friday night.

In another incident in Lalmohan upazila, a six-year-old boy – Md Jasim – drowned on Saturday as water of local canals and water bodies swelled following tidal surge, said UNO Habibul Hasan Rumi.

In Chandpur, at least 50 houses at Shilar Char, Khaskandi, Majher Char, Monder Bazar areas and eight shops at Monder Bazar in Sadar upazila were damaged in the storm, said UNO Kaniz Fatema.

At least five people were also injured.

Meanwhile, around 40 houses were damaged in storm in char areas around 3:45am, said Haimchar UNO Ferdousi Begum.

In Bagerhat, Shaninur Begum, 35, wife of Mozahar, was killed after a tree collapsed on her in Sadar upazila on Friday night, said Md Jahirul, the district’s additional deputy commissioner.

Nasir Ahmed, a PIO at Sharankhola, said cracks developed at three points of Baleshwar river embankment in the upazila.

Besides, 150-metre stretch of an embankment from Bogi to Gabtola was damaged, flooding several villages.

Freshly, two points of risky embankment on Baleshwari river in Sharankhola broke up later on the day flooding more new villages in the area.

Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarbans (DFO) Md Mahmudul Hasan said the water level rose 4-5 feet in all the connecting rivers of the mangrove forest.

In Lakshmipur, Anwara Khatun, 65, was killed after a house collapsed on her at Char Neyamatpur in Ramgati upazila around 5:00am, said UNO Md Rafiqul Haque.

Besides, 15 people were injured and around 50 houses and a school were damaged in the storm.

In Patuakhali, Abid Musulli, 35, son of Harun Musulli, was killed as a tree collapsed on him at Manoshitola village in Kolapara upazila in the morning, said Kuakata Municipality Mayor Abdul Barek.

In Chapainawabganj, a toddler drowned in the flooded village of Kalupur in Gomostapur upazila around 11:00am.

The deceased was identified as Morsalin, 3, son of Saiful Islam.

In Dhamrai of Dhaka district, at least four people were injured when their car was hit by a falling tree on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Barbaria area on Friday afternoon.

The victims are Md Intaj Uddin, 45, his wife Naznin Sultana, 40, their daughter Shimu Aktar, 20, and their driver Sowkat Ali, 50.

Fire service inspector Parimal Kumar said the century-old tree collapsed on the car around 5:00pm while the victims were going to Dhaka from Ghior of Manikganj.