Heavy rain and strong winds battered the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall late on Sunday, leaving millions without electricity after power poles fell and some trees were uprooted by gusty winds.
The storm crossed the coastal regions of Bangladesh’s Mongla port and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India’s West Bengal state with wind speed measuring up to 135 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
READ MORE: Cyclone Remal LIVE: 1 Dead in Kolkata as Severe Storm Makes Landfall in Coastal West Bengal
The landfall process began around 9 pm in India on Sunday and continued for about five hours, the regional meteorological office in Kolkata said. One person was killed in the major metropolitan city of Kolkata when concrete chunks fell on him during the peak of the storm, police said. There was damage to thatched huts and mud houses in the coastal areas of both countries.
The low-lying coasts of South Asian neighbours Bangladesh and India have experienced frequent severe storms in recent years as climate change forces a rise in sea surface temperatures. Remal is the year’s first cyclone in the region. Bangladesh moved about 800,000 people from the port areas of Mongla and Chittagong and nine coastal districts to storm shelters from Sunday afternoon. As many as 110,000 people were also taken to shelters in India.
“@IndiaCoastGuard is closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone #Remal with disaster response team, Ships, Hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges. Follow official advisories, Stay informed and stay safe," IndiaCoastGuard said in a post on social media platform X.
Update cyclone #Remal@IndiaCoastGuard is closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone #Remal with disaster response team, Ships, Hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges. Follow official advisories, Stay informed and stay safe.#CycloneRemal… pic.twitter.com/WZlGMBgYtw— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 26, 2024
Dhaka set up nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and mobilised 78,000 volunteers ahead of the storm while the Indian navy said it had kept ships, aircraft, divers and medical supplies on standby for deployment if required. A video posted by a Bangladeshi daily of the country’s Chittagong coast is going viral, in which a dark swath of clouds can be seen over the sea. Authorities in Bangladesh shut down electricity supply to many areas in advance to avoid accidents while many coastal towns were left in the dark as fallen trees and broken lines disrupted supply, power ministry officials said.
Meanwhile, in Bengal, the power infrastructure was heavily battered. Reports of at least 356 uprooted electricity poles and damage to scores of transformers were received during the first hour of the landfall process, he added. More than 50 international and domestic flights had to be cancelled in Kolkata city as operations remained suspended since Sunday noon. Bangladesh also suspended operations at Mongla and Chittagong ports. Remal also brought heavy rains to Dhaka, causing flooding of roads and severely impacting commuters.
(With agency inputs)
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