Death toll from cyclone Sitrang rises to 11
Two more died in Bhola due to the impact of cyclone Sitrang. With this, the casualties from the cyclone rose to 11.
An old man was trapped inside his house as a tree fell on it in Bhola Sadar upazila and a housewife drowned in Lalmohan upazila at midnight.
The two deceased were identified as Mofijul Islam, 70, of Chewakhali village in ward no. 3 of Dhania union and Rabeya Begum, 25, of Fatemabad village in ward no. 1 of Lord Hardinge union.
Abul Kashem, chairman of Lord Hardinge union parishad, said the high tide started to swell at around 3.00 am Tuesday. As the water started to enter the yards of the houses, people started running in panic. At the time, Rabeya Begum drowned in a pond near her house while running in the dark and died on the spot.
Lalmohan police station’s officer-in-charge Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo. He said locals recovered the body of Rabeya Begum early in the morning.
Earlier, at around 9.00 pm, Mofizul Islam of Chewakhali village in Dhania union in Bhola Sadar upazila died as an uprooted tree fell on his house due to the strong wind caused by the cyclone.
Another person from his family sustained injuries in the incident. However, his name could not be confirmed immediately.
Confirming the matter to Prothom Alo, local UP (union parishad) member Monirul Islam said, “A branch of a tree fell on the roof of Mofizul’s house as a strong wind started. Mofizul died on the spot. Later, locals recovered his body from the wreckage.”
Earlier, another woman, Bibi Khadiza, 68, died after a tree fell on her due to the stormy wind at around 9.00 pm in Bhola.
In another incident, a branch of tree fell on two motorcycle riders in Shashibhushan area in Char Fasson upazila of Bhola, leaving one dead on the spot and the other injured.
The deceased was identified as Md. Mainuddin, 45. He was a gold trader by profession. He was from the Hajariganj area in Char Fasson. Superintendent of police (SP) in Bhola confirmed this information to Prothom Alo.
The first casualty from the cyclone was reported in Lohagara of Narail. A woman, Morzina Begum, 40, died as a branch of a tree fell on her on the upazila parishad premises. She was from Arjanbahar village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila. She was survived by her husband and 11-year-old son.
At around 12.00 pm on Monday, a branch of a mahogany tree fell on her in front of the Palli Sanchay Bank while crossing the upazila parishad premises, leaving her critically injured. She was taken to the Lohagara Upazila Health Complex, where the physician on duty declared her dead.
Meanwhile, in Sonakhali area of Barguna Sadar upazila, a woman died after a tree fell on the roof of the house she was residing in. Enamul Haque, a local social worker from Sonakhali area, said that deceased Amena Khatun was more than 100 years old. She died after a tree fell on the roof of her room during the cyclonic storm. She was having supper at the time of the incident.
Confirming the incident, Barguna deputy commissioner Habibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the district administration would provide financial aid to the family of the deceased on Tuesday morning.
The number of casualties due to the cyclone Sitrang was the highest in the Nangalkot upazila of Cumilla. A couple and their child died as a tree fell on their house at around 11.00 pm in the Paschimpara village of Hesakhal union in the upazila.
The deceased was identified as Nizam Uddin of Paschimpara village, his wife Sharmin Akter and their four-year-old daughter Nusrat Akter.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Hesakhal union parishad chairman Iqbal Bahar said all the three were asleep at the time.
In Sirajganj, a woman and her son died as their boat capsized due to huge waves caused by the cyclone. The incident took place at around 9.00 pm in the Mohanpur area of Soyda union in Sirajganj sadar upazila.
According to the sources, a housewife was returning home with the family members, including her two sons, by a boat. However, their boat capsized in the storm, leaving one of the sons of the woman dead on the spot.
Locals rescued the woman and her other son and took them to the hospital where she was declared dead. The name of the deceased couldn’t be confirmed immediately.