Cyclone Sitrang Updates: 18 Killed, Over 10,000 Homes Destroyed in Bangladesh Due to Sitrang

One death each was reported from Narail and Barguna sub-districts. The body of a child was recovered from Chittagong district. A mother and her two-year-old son died after a boat sank during the storm in Jamuna River in Sirajganj district. One man died after the railing of a multi-story building collapsed and fell on him in Dhaka, while two women died after a tree fell on them in Gopalganj district, a PTI report said on Tuesday.

At least 18 people, including three children, were killed in different parts of Bangladesh as the cyclonic storm Sitrang lashed the country, leaving a trail of destruction, officials said on Tuesday. Sitrang completed its landfall and weakened to a tropical depression over Bangladesh in the early hours of Tuesday, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Cyclone Sitrang made landfall in Bangladesh on Monday night and has so far killed 9 people, and has destroyed over 10,000 homes, a DD News report said. Besides, 6000 hectares of cropland was damaged due to the storm. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman told the media that most of the people have already returned to their homes from the shelters. He said that the cyclone weakened very quickly after hitting the coastal districts last night.

Ahead of Cyclone Sitrang, tourists and locals have been warned in West Bengal to not venture out to sea.

Disaster Management Authorities in Meghalaya have been kept on high alert as Cyclone Sitrang is likely to bring heavy rain in many parts of the state, a PTI report said. In at least four districts bordering Bangladesh, the administration directed the authorities to keep all educational institutes shut on Tuesday in view of the cyclone.

Strong wind speed reaching 25-35 kmph gusting to 45 kmph is very likely to prevail over south Assam and adjoining Meghalaya, Mizoram & Tripura during the next 6 hours and reduce thereafter, the IMD said.

Light-moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy-very heavy rainfall likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast Assam & isolated heavy rainfall over remaining parts of Assam, Meghalaya & Nagaland today, the IMD said.

People evacuated from low-lying regions such as remote islands and river banks were moved to thousands of multi-storey cyclone shelters, Disaster Management Ministry secretary Kamrul Ahsan told AFP. “They spent the night in cyclone shelters,” he said. In some cases police had to cajole villagers who were reluctant to abandon their homes, officials said. Heavy rains lashed much of the country, flooding cities such as Dhaka, Khulna and Barisal — which witnessed 324 millimetres (13 inches) of rainfall on Monday.

Tripura CM Manika Saha said concerned officials have been asked to take all possible precautionary measures to tackle the situation that might unfold due to the cyclone. Following the state’s request, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent five teams of the NDRF. The first batch comprising 69 personnel have already arrived from Guwahati, he said. They will be deputed at five locations – Agartala, Kumarghat, Santir Bazar, Udaipur and Teliamura.

Over 120 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were airlifted to Tripura from Guwahati to deploy them in various districts to deal with the possible cyclonic and flood situation on Tuesday. Six of the eight northeastern states on Sunday sounded a maximum alert and asked all the concerned districts, disaster management authorities and agencies to remain alert. The state governments have asked the NDRF to deploy additional troops in the probable areas, where heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur in view of the cyclone ‘Sitrang’ on Monday to Wednesday.

The cyclonic storm “Sitrang” pronounced as “Si-Trang” over north Bay of Bengal moved rapidly north-northeastwards with a speed of 56 kmph during past 06 hours and crossed Bangladesh coast between Tinkona and Sandwip close to Barisal during 21.30 hrs IST and 23.30 hrs IST of October 24 with maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph . It lay centered at 2330 hrs IST of 24th October over coastal Bangladesh near latitude 23.70N and longitude 90.80E, about 40 km east of Dhaka, 50 km west-southwest of Agartala and 120 km north-northeast of Barisal (Bangladesh).

Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ crossed the Bangladesh coast near Barisal between 9.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Monday after skirting the West Bengal coast, the meteorological department said.

Disaster Management Authorities in Meghalaya have been kept on high alert as Cyclone Sitrang is likely to bring heavy rain in many parts of the state, officials said on Sunday. In at least four districts bordering Bangladesh, the administration directed the authorities to keep all educational institutes shut on Tuesday in view of the cyclone. The districts are East and West Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, and South West Khasi Hills. Other districts were directed to keep all field officers alert at all times, monitor the situation and report in case of emergency, the officials said.

A ‘red’ alert was sounded in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura on Monday in view of the Sitrang cyclone. Authorities said thunderstorms with lightning is very likely in parts of Hailakandi, Karimganj, Cachar, Dima Hasao, East and West Karbi Anglong, Morigaon, Nagaon, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Goalpara, Golaghat, Jorhat, and Sibsagar districts till October 26.

Cyclonic storm ‘Sitrang’ lay centered, at 11.30 pm Oct 24, over coastal Bangladesh about 40km east of Dhaka. It’s very likely to move north-northeastwards & weaken into a depression during next six hours and further into well-marked low-pressure area during subsequent six hours, the IMD said in a bulletin.

At least seven people in Bangladesh lost their lives after Cyclone Sitrang battered parts of the densely-populated country late Monday, according to media reports. The deaths were reported from districts of Barguna, Narail, Sirajganj, and the island district of Bhola, reported news agency AFP quoting disaster ministry control room spokesperson Nikhil Sarker.

As cyclone ‘Sitrang’ moved north-northeastwards and lay 260 km southeast of Sagar island on Monday, the Met department warned of heavy rain in coastal Bengal and northeastern states, dampening festive spirits on Diwali and Kali Puja. Intermittent showers since morning forced people to remain indoors as most Kolkata streets wore a deserted look on a festive evening which would normally have attracted tens of thousands to visit marquees with idols of Goddess Kali and see the bright lights of the city. Squally wind accompanied by light to moderate rain affected the coastal districts of the state, while Kolkata also witnessed an overcast sky with light precipitation.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday said an alert has been sounded across the state, after the Met Department forecast downpour, owing to the impact of cyclone Sitrang’. The weather system is likely to bring heavy to extremely heavy rain in many northeastern states, including south Assam Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram, an IMD bulletin said.