Ten people were killed and several thousand houses damaged as tropical storm Mahasen buffeted the country’s coastal regions before heading towards Tripura of India as a land depression on Thursday afternoon.
Weakened by giving precipitation, Mahasen crossed the Bangladesh coast for Tripura, India in the evening as a land depression.
The people of the coastal regions started returning to their homes from the shelter centres after the storm crossed the country’s coast.
Meanwhile, the maritime ports of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar have been advised to lower danger signal number seven and hoist local cautionary signal number three.
The maritime port of Mongla has been advised to lower danger signal number five but instead hoist local cautionary signal number three.
All fishing boats, trawlers and marine vessels over the North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till Friday noon and then proceed with caution till further notice.
The storm-related deaths were reported from Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Pirojpur and Chittagong districts.
In Barguna, five people were killed and over 100 houses destroyed when the tropical storm bore down on the district.
The deceased were identified as Syed Ali, 60, of Ranipur village, Abir, 6, of Bakultali village in Betagi upazila, and Chand Mia, 70, of Amkhola village in Taltali upazila, Anwar Hossain of Joynagar village and Jhumur of Laxmipura village in Bamna upazila.
In Patuakhali, Siraj Akand, 80, died of heart attack at a cyclone centre at Balakathi village in Sadar upazila in the morning.
In Bhola, two people were killed 20 others injured as trees crushed down on them in Lalmohan and Charfashion upazilas on Thursday morning.
The deceased were identified as Abul Kashem, 80, a resident of Dhaligournagar village in Lalmohan upazila, and Parvez, 6, in Charfashion upazila.
They met the tragic end of their lives while going to cyclone shelters.
In Pirojpur, Monwara Begum, 60, was killed and his husband and son were injured when a tree fell on their house at Pashuria village in Mathbaria upazila in the morning.
In Chittagong, a woman, 45, died at a shelter centre in Kutubkhali area of Banshkhali upazila at noon.
Meanwhile, several thousand houses and crops on vast tracts of land were damage and trees uprooted in the coastal districts by the tropical storm that made a landfall in Bangladesh through Khepupara of Patuakhali in the morning.
The storm destroyed over 1000 houses in Barguna, 500 in Patuakhali, several hundred in Bhola and Barisal, over 100 in Pirojpur, 30 in Bagerhat and a few in Jhalakati when Mahasen shattered the districts.
Gusty winds accompanied by rains swept the coastal areas all day long. Heavy rainfall triggered inundation in many areas of the coastal districts.
A total of 956,671 people huddled in 3296 cyclone shelters in 15 coastal districts as of Thursday morning, according to Disaster Management and Relief Abul Hasan Mahamood Ali.
He also said his ministry has already allotted Tk 10 crore and 5,000 tonnes of rice for those districts.
The 15 coastal districts include Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira.
Meanwhile, the delivery of goods at Chittagong port resumed on Thursday afternoon as Mahasen turned into a land depression.
Port secretary Syed Farhad Uddin said the delivery of goods from different shades of the port resumed around 4pm.
He, however, said the loading and unloading of goods at the port remained halted as the ships were staying at the outer anchorage.
The activities at Shah Amanat International Airport will resume on Friday morning.
Squadron leader Rabiul Alam, airport manager of the airport, said they have started replacing various apparatus removed fearing destruction from the cyclone. “We hope to resume the activities at the airport tomorrow (Friday) morning.”
Earlier, on Wednesday, all airports, seaports and educational institutions in the regions were shut after the maritime ports of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar advised to hoist danger signal number seven.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) suspended the operation of vessels and ferries on long routes till further notice.
All ships staying at the main jetty and mooring were moved away to the outer anchorage for safety. Chittagong and Karnaphuli EPZs were declared closed for an indefinite period.
Important equipment were shifted from the local bases of Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy to avoid possible destruction. Besides, the bogies and wagons of trains were taken to safer places from different railway stations.
The government took all-out measures to shield possible loss of lives and property from the cyclone. Some 2,968 permanent and temporary shelter centres were ready in the coastal districts for the locals to take shelter there.
A total of 1,327 medical teams are also ready in 13 coastal districts to provide emergency medical services if Mahasen’ hits Bangladesh. There are six doctors in each team.
The holidays of the government officials and employees in the coastal districts have been cancelled to tackle any exigencies.
Twenty-two ships of Bangladesh Navy were kept standby for conducting rescue operations and relief activities after the storm.
Source: UNB Connect
