5 dead as Mora shows signs of weakening

At least five people died in Cox’s Bazar and Rangamati as Cyclone Mora made landfall today and crossed the coast of Chittagong, showing signs of weakening with reduced wind speed and rainfall.

Met office says, the bad weather will persist today. There will be improvement tomorrow. The ‘severe cyclonic storm’ will weaken gradually and reduce to a depression as it moves further north.

The cyclone that made landfall near Kutubdia around 6:00am did not prove to be as devastating as feared. Last known, the storm was moving across the coastal areas of Chittagong.

Two people died in Chokoria, hit by trees and buried under a collapsed house, and another in Cox’s Bazar Sadar, said Ruhul Amin, divisional commissioner of Chittagong.

Cox’s Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Kazi Abdur Rahman identified them as Rahmat Ullah, 50, and Sayera Khatun, 60, locals of Chokoria. Mariam Begum, 55, died at a cyclone shelter in heart attack.

Now, Kutubdia, Moheshkhali and Teknaf are completely cut off from road communication, landline phone and power, Divisional Commissioner Abdur Rahman said.

Hazera Begum, 40, and Mahima Akhter, 13, died hit by trees in Rangamati Sadar around 11:30am, our local correspondent reports quoting district Civil Surgeon Shaheed Talukder.

Cyclone Mora, that lashed Chittagong with wind speed of 128 kmph eased up in the afternoon, our local staff correspondents report. The rain had subsided to moderate.

Some houses have been damaged and trees uprooted in Banshkhali and Sandwip upazilas, said local UNOs Kazi Md Chahel (Banshkhali) and Golam Md Zakaria.

Power supply to Chittagong, the hill tract regions of Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban, and Cox’s Bazar have been kept off since morning, said Md Moniruzzaman, senior assistant public relation officer of Power Development Board (south).

Three villages – Baroaulia, Dholghat, Purba Gahira – in Anawara and three other villages – Purba Barguna, Pashim Barguna and Gandamara -- in Bashkhali were inundated.

In Cox’s Bazar, two villages were inundated in Moheshkhali upazila and over 1,000 people evacuated and taken to cyclone centre this morning, said Tamilur Rahman, an executive magistrate.

Coastal areas in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur and their offshore islands and chars are still under the highest alert with danger signal 10.

Source: thedailystar