25 killed as cyclone Bulbul ravages coastal districts
STAFF REPORTER, Dhaka
At least 25 people died and scores others injured while some 10,000 houses and crops on more than 2 lakh hectares of land damaged as cyclone Bulbul left a trail of destruction in the countrys coastal districts on Sunday. The very severe cyclone also barrelled into the coasts of India killing at least 12. The Sundarbans, the worlds largest mangrove forest that straddles the two nations and is home to several endangered species, shielded the coast from the storms full impact, observed the officials.
In Bangladesh, most of the casualties took place as trees and houses fell on people during the cyclone, a natural disaster that often hits the country. Of the casualties, four were reported from Patuakhali, three from Khulna, two from Bagerhat and one each from Barguna, Gopalganj, Barishal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Madaripur, and Shariatpur, according to unofficial figures collected by our correspondents.
In addition, the bodies of nine fishermen, who went missing in a trawler capsize in the Meghna River in Charfasson upazila of Bhola on Sunday, were recovered from the Machhkata River in Mehendiganj upazila on Monday night.
The deceased were identified as Kamal Dalal, 35, son of late Nurul Haque, Hasan Mollah, 38, son of Quader Mollah, Nur Nabi Bepari, 30, son of Quader Bepari, Mofiz Matabbar, 35, son of Salimon Bepari, Nazrul Islam, 35, son of Yasin Patwary, Kabir Hossain, 40, son of Mosleuddin Majhi, Billal, 32, son of Ismail Khan, Abbas Munshi, 44, son of late Mujibul Haque Munshi, and Rafique Biswas, 44, son of late Jamal Biswas of Abdullahpur in Charfasson upazila.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman said cyclone Bulbul left a trail of destruction, damaging some 10,000 mud, CI sheet and bamboo homes and crops on at least 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of land.
The cyclone also hit river transport services for two days until yesterday morning. Road communications and electricity connections also got snapped in several districts.
In Khulna, three people were killed as trees fell on them in two upazilas of the district during the gusty winds and heavy rainfall caused by the Bulbul, authorities said.
One of the deceased Promila Mondol, 52, was killed when a tree fell on her in Dacope upazila Sunday morning, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Wadud.
Another deceased Alamgir Hossain, 40, was killed when a branch of tree fell on him in Dighalia upazila around 9am, said Mollik Morshed, officer-in-charge
of Dighalia Police Station. Another man named Rahman Sheikh, 78, was killed at Rupsha Upazila of the district when a tree fell on him, said the local administration.
In Bagerhat, Samia Khatun, 15, of Bhorasapur village under Rampal upazila, and Hira Begum, 27, wife of Masum Sheikh hailing from Chapuli village under Fakirhat upazila, were killed. Samia died and two persons got injured during the cyclone after a tree fell on their house while they were asleep at Bhorasapur village in Rampal in the morning, said Pankaj Chandra Roy, superintendent of Bagerhat police.
Hira was killed after a big branch of tree fell on her while she was moving from her residence to another around 11am, said Bagerhat Additional Deputy Commissioner Quamrul Islam.
A total of 44,563 households, 35,529 hectares of arable land and 7,234 fish enclosures were damaged under the influence of heavy rain and strong winds in the coastal district due to Bulbul.
Besides, 18.35 kilometers of embankments were also damaged following the cyclonic storm.
Among the households, 35,775 were partially damaged while 8,788 were fully destroyed, reports our Bagerhat correspondent quoting Deputy Commissioner Mamunur Rashid.
In Barguna, one Halima Khatun, the wife of Mozaffar Hossain of Banai village under Sadar upazila, died of cardiac arrest at a Cyclone Centre Saturday night, said Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anisur Rahman.
In Patuakhali, Hameda Fakir, 65, was killed as a tree collapsed on a house at Rampura village under Mirzapur upazila early in the morning, said Upazila Parishad Chairman Abu Bakar.
Another woman Sufia Begum, 65, died of heart attack after getting panicked at Purbo Dhankhali Government Primary School cyclone shelter under Kalapara upazila Saturday night, according to the district cyclone control room.
A man named Abdul Hamid died getting trapped under his house at Mirzaganj while a fisherman named Bellal Hossain got drowned in the Bay as his fishing trawler came to the Kuakata seashore on hearing the cyclone message.
Asked, Kuakata Municipality Mayor Shah Alam Hawaldar said some 10,000 people were marooned in low-lying areas while crops on vast tracts of land went under water due to the cyclone.
Besides, 2387 thatched houses were partly destroyed and 288 more were demolished. About 50000 hectares of Aman field, 3000 hectares of vegetable field and 200 hectares of pulses are all affected. The cyclone also affected nearly one million plants owned by individuals and grown by the forest department.
In Gopalganj, a 70-year old man Sekel Hawladar hailing from Kotalipara upazila died when a tree fell on him Sunday afternoon, said UNO Mahfuzur Rahman. Besides this, hundreds of households and poultry farms got damaged while thousands of trees uprooted. Power connections got disrupted in different parts of the upazila. Croplands and fruit-bearing trees were damaged as well.
In Barishal, 65-year old Ashalata Majumder in Wazipur municipality was killed as a tree fell on her during the cyclone Sunday afternoon, said UNO Masuma Akhtar.
In Satkhira, one Abul Kalam, 60, died of cardiac arrest while he was returning home from a cyclone shelter at Gabura union of Shyamnagar upazila. Another person Alyea Bibi, 55, died of cardiac arrest as well, said Shyamnagar UNO Kamruzzaman. He said around 80 per cent kutcha and semi-pucca houses were damaged in Gabura union. Power and internet connections remained snapped in the upazila since the cyclone lashed the area. Several hundred shrimp enclosures went under water in Gabura, Padmapukur, Atulia, Kashimari and other unions under the upazila, he said. In addition, electricity connection was snapped in Shyamnagar, Ashshuni, Kaliganj and Devhata upazilas.
In Bhola, a fisherman was killed and 10 others went missing as their fishing trawler sank in Meghna river. Bhola SP Mohammad Kawsar said body of a fisherman was recovered from river Meghna with at least 13 fishermen remaining still missing while 10 others were rescued alive. At least 10 other people were injured in Lalmohon and Charfashon upazilas Saturday night.
In Shariatpur, 70-year old Ali Bakh Saiyal died when a tree fell on his house in Dingamanik union under Naria upazila, said Officer-in-Charge of Naria police station Hafizuddin.
Besides, at least 350 houses were damaged and several hundred threes were uprooted in Goshairhat upazila, said UNO Alamgir Hossain.
In Pirojpur, 65-year old Noni Gopal Mondol died when a tree fell on his residence in Malikhali union under Nazirpur upazila due to Bulbul.
Two children -- Sumi, 8, and Nasir,16, -- of the same family were injured, UP Chairman Hasanat Dalim confirmed.
In Madaripur, 40-year old Saleha Begum was killed when a tree fell on her house in Gatmari village under Sadar upazila at around 3pm Sunday, said Sadar upazila UNO Saifuddin Gias.
Besides, six other people were injured when trees fell on them in Rajoir upazila.
Disruption of electricity
Power supply was disrupted in 18 districts including Bhola, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Khulna, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barishal, Madaripur, Jashore, Gopalganj, Laxmipur, Feni, Noakhali, Chandpur, Cumilla, Faridpur and Shariatpur, said Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board. Official sources have confirmed that around three million electricity consumers in cyclone-hit areas are facing power outage as the grid power connectivity remains suspended. Official concerned said that power supply was due to be normal in most areas by Monday. Itll take another 2-3 days to restore electricity everywhere.
Managing Director of West Zone power Distribution Company Engineer Md. Shafique Uddin said to The Independent that at least 5-6 lakh people of the area of coverage remained out of electricity. We are trying to restore the power supply as early as possible, but itll take time as power supply line along 25 kilometres of road was destroyed as trees fell on those, he said.
He, however, said they were able to deliver electricity to 90 per cent of their consumers. Electricity was expected to be restored all over the city by Monday night.
Disaster ministry report
The state minister for disaster management at a briefing on the cyclone and its impact said some 10,000 mud, CI sheet and bamboo houses and 200,000 hectares of crops were damaged due to the Bulbul.
The damage by cyclone Bulbul was much lesser as the wind speed was only 80km-90km per hour, he said while addressing a press briefing on the post-cyclone situation at the Secretariat.
The state minister, however, claimed that two people were killed with 30 others injured during the cyclone. He said the exact extent of damage will be ascertained based on the information to be provided by the respective district administrations. The state minister said over 2,106,918 people were taken to some 5,787 cyclone centres in coastal areas.
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