“Cyclone Ravages Bangladesh and India and Claiming Two Lives”, In Patuakhali, Bangladesh, fierce gales and crashing waves relentlessly pounded the low-lying coast on Monday (May 27) as an intense cyclone gradually weakened while moving further inland.
Since Cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday night, two fatalities have been reported, according to Kamrul Hasan, secretary of Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry, in an update provided to AFP.
Communications have been severely hampered by the storm, with recorded wind speeds reaching 111 km/h, stated Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, senior weather forecaster at the state-run Bangladesh Meteorological Department.”The severe cyclone will continue to pound the Bangladesh coast until 10 a.m. (0400 GMT),” confirmed Mallik in a statement to AFP.
“The cyclone has unleashed heavy rains in many parts of Bangladesh. After further rainfall, the severe cyclone is expected to weaken and transition into a storm,” explained Mallik.
“Cyclones have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in Bangladesh in recent decades. The frequency of superstorms striking its densely populated coast has surged, from one per year to as many as three, attributed to the influence of climate change.”
An AFP reporter stationed in the affected area reported continuous heavy rainfall accompanied by extreme winds since Sunday evening. The powerful winds have battered tall buildings, uprooted trees, and torn off tin roofs from homes, causing widespread damage.
Approximately one million people in Bangladesh and neighboring India sought shelter, evacuating to concrete storm shelters located inland to seek refuge from the perilous waves and severe weather conditions.
