Kolkata: Strong winds and heavy rain battered the south of Bengal and Bangladesh as Cyclone Remal – called a ‘severe’ cyclonic storm by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) – made landfall starting at 9 pm on May 26. A person has died in Kolkata and two, in Bangladesh.
As storm hit the area of Bangladesh’s Mongla port and Bengal’s Sagar Islands, wind speeds of 110 to 120 kilometres per hour, gusting to a maximum of 135 kilometres per hour. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away while mud houses were flattened in the coastal areas of both countries as authorities waited to ascertain the full scale of losses, Reuters reported.
“The system is likely to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours. Thereafter, it would move northeastward and gradually weaken further,” the IMD said at 6.55 am on May 27.
In the Bengal capital, a 51-year-old man died after a wall collapsed as the storm hit. Several trees have fallen throughout the city, which teams of the Kolkata Municipality and Kolkata Police Disaster Management have attended to. In addition to the South 24 Parganas, coastal areas of North 24 Parganas also witnessed strong winds and moderate to heavy rains. Nadia and Howrah districts received rain as well.be
The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 14 rescue team across the state, who are now actively engaged in restoration work with local agencies.
Kamrul Hasan, secretary of Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry, told AFP that two people have been killed since the storm made landfall.
Key areas of cities and several villages are water-logged, according to reports.
Millions, in both countries, are left without electricity. In Bengal, power minister Arup Biswas said 356 electricity poles were uprooted and scores of transformers damaged during the first hour of the landfall.
#Watch | चक्रवात ‘रेमल’ के टकराने के बाद पश्चिम बंगाल के कई हिस्सों में भारी बारिश से जनजीवन अस्त -व्यस्त हो गया है।#CycloneRemal pic.twitter.com/AURSk6Hqda
Advertisement— डीडी न्यूज़ (@DDNewsHindi) May 27, 2024
Bangladesh authorities said they had shut down electricity supply to many areas in advance to avoid accidents. Some regions also lost power due to fallen electricity poles and damaged lines, DW reported.
