At least 251 people were killed and thousands of others injured
in Bangladesh as a powerful cyclone has lashed the country's south
and southwestern regions since Thursday evening.
Preliminary reports from coastal districts said Friday at least
57 people were killed in Barguna, 61 people in Patuakhali, 30 in
Bagerhat, 21 in Barisal, 18 each in Madaripur and Gopalganj, 13 in
Shariatpur and 11 each in Khulna, Pirojpur and Bhola.
In Bagerhat, the fate of more than 5,000 people, mostly
fishermen, in remote island of Dublarchar could not be known as
local administration failed to contact with them. A team of the
coastguard from Mongla seaport set out for the offshore island in
the morning.
The deaths mostly were caused by blown down trees and house
collapses. Low-lying areas of many coastal districts, even in
towns, were inundated.
Sundarbans forest official Shohidulla told Xinhua over telephone
a colossal damage was done to the Sundabans mangrove forest, the
biggest mangrove forest in the world.
"Our offices were damaged, boats capsized or washed away," he
said.
The terrible tropical storm code-named SIDR with a speed up to
240 kph crossed through the southern Barisal-Khulna belt from the
Bay of Bengal early Friday, flattening thousands of houses,
uprooting trees, snapping telephone and power lines.
Capital Dhaka is also affected by the cyclone. There was heavy
rain on Thursday and early Friday. The electricity in the city has
been disconnected since Thursday midnight. Witnesses said in
western residential area of the city some tin-houses collapsed, but
no casualties has been reported.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2007)
