At least 24 people were killed and 100 others injured when Cyclone Roanu hit the coastal regions of Bangladesh on Saturday noon. About five lakh people have been evacuated and sent to shelter camps at safe places.
The government authorities have been preparing to evacuate a total of 21 lakh people, Press Trust of India quoted a disaster management ministry spokesman as saying. The affected regions include Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Bhola, Feni, Patuakhali, Lakshmipur and Chittagong districts.
At least 12 people were killed in Chittagong district, including three each in Noakhali, Cox's Bazar and Bhola and one each in Feni, Patuakhali and Lakshmipur, Bangladesh News 24 reported. Three children, two 10-year-old and one 11-year-old, were among the deceased.
"The death toll now stands at 24 with four more casualties reported overnight," PTI quoted Bangladesh's disaster management department's Director General Reaz Ahmed as saying. At least 85,000 homes and commercial structures were also damaged in the cyclone, he said.
The Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong has shut down operations and the main port in the district issued a red alert ahead of the arrival of Cyclone Roanu. The meteorological office issued "local warning signals" to "danger signals" for its four seaports.
At least five lakh people were killed in the 1970 cyclone in the country, while about 14 lakh died in 1991.
