Cyclone Remal: Landslide feared in five districts

Landslides may occur at various places in five districts – Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari – due to heavy rainfall under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm Remal has advanced further northward over the Northwest Bay.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said this in their special weather bulletin No.11 Sunday.

BMD said all divisions of the country may experience heavy rainfall with gusty or squally wind.

Meanwhile, local admirations started PA announcements in the hill areas. Rangamati deputy commissioner Mohammad Mosharrof Hossain Khan told Prothom Alo they have begun announcements across the district and prepared shelter centres.

There are 322 shelters in Rangamati district including 29 in the town. 

People would be brought to the shelters once the situation gets worse, Mosharrof Hossain said adding, that landslides are feared following incessant rainfall.

Landslides killed a record 158 people in six districts, including three Chattogram Hill Tracts districts, on 12-13 June in 2017. A total of 120 people died in Rangamati on 13 June.

Besides, landside is also feared in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman told Prothom Alo landslide is most likely to occur in refugee camps No. 6, 7, 9 and 10, and these camps house nearly 100,000 Rohingya.

However, not all of them will need to be evacuated. If incessant rainfall occurs, refugees may need to evacuate and they have all the necessary preparation, he added.

BMD said the 16 coastal districts, along with their offshore islands and chars, are likely to get inundated in wind-driven surges of 8 to 12 feet beyond the astronomical tide as severe cyclonic storm Remal has advanced further northward over the Northwest Bay.

The districts are Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Cumilla, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar, says a special bulletin of the meteorological department. 

The maritime ports of Payra and Mongla have been instructed to keep great danger signal No. 10 raised, while Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram ports maintain great danger signal No. 9. 

Nine coastal districts -- Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakhati, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, and Patuakhali -- will remain under great danger signal No. 10.

At 9:00 am, the cyclone centre was located approximately 380 kilometres southwest of Chattogram port, 340 kilometres south of Mongla port, and 265 kilometres south of Payra port.

The met office said the severe cyclonic storm is likely to move in a northerly direction, potentially crossing Sagar Island in West Bengal, near Mongla, by evening or midnight.

At 9:00 am, the cyclone centre was located approximately 380 kilometres southwest of Chattogram port, 340 kilometres south of Mongla port, and 265 kilometres south of Payra port. 

The maximum sustained wind speed at the cyclone centre is about 90 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching up to 120 kilometres per hour. The sea remains tumultuous near the cyclone centre.