Delhi, 27 May 2024, (GNP): Severe gusts and heavy rainfall have battered the coastal areas of Bangladesh and India as cyclone Remal hit land, resulting in millions losing electricity due to fallen power poles and some trees being uprooted by the strong winds.
Late on Sunday, cyclone Remal crossed over the coastal regions near Bangladesh’s Mongla port and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India’s West Bengal state, with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph (about 84 mph), as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to the latest weather update from the IMD, the cyclone is expected to gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning and then move northeastwards, further losing intensity.
The process of landfall commenced around 9 pm local time in India (1530 GMT) on Sunday and persisted for approximately five hours, as stated by the regional meteorological office in Kolkata.
During the storm’s peak, one individual tragically lost their life in the major metropolitan city of Kolkata when concrete debris fell on them, as confirmed by the police.
Thatched hut roofs were torn away, and mud houses were flattened in the coastal regions of both countries, with authorities still assessing the full extent of the damage.
In low-lying areas of Bangladesh, the death toll has reached 10, with over 30,000 homes destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged, according to top local officials on Monday.
“They mostly died after they were crushed under fallen houses or collapsed walls,” said Showkat Ali, government administrator of Barisal district, where seven people died.
Tropical Cyclone Remal kills at least two people as it sweeps across southern Bangladesh and eastern India after making landfall overnight from the Bay of Bengal.
The coastal areas of Bangladesh and India, prone to severe storms due to rising sea surface temperatures driven by the climate crisis, experienced their first cyclone of the year, Remal.
Bangladesh evacuated approximately 800,000 individuals from port areas like Mongla and Chittagong, along with nine coastal districts, to storm shelters starting Sunday morning. In India, around 110,000 people were also relocated to shelters.
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Dhaka took proactive measures by establishing nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and deploying 78,000 volunteers ahead of the storm. Meanwhile, the Indian navy remained prepared with ships, aircraft, divers, and medical supplies for potential deployment.
Although early warnings and timely evacuations helped prevent major casualties, there was significant damage to power infrastructure.
In Bangladesh, authorities preemptively shut down electricity in many areas to prevent accidents. Fallen trees and damaged power lines left numerous coastal towns without electricity, according to officials from the power ministry.
“We have no electricity since night, my mobile battery will run out anytime. By the grace of Allah, the cyclone was not as violent as we thought,” said Rahat Raja, a resident in the coastal district of Satkhira in Bangladesh.
