5 die as cyclone Fani lashes southwestern districts

At least five people, including a minor boy, were killed in Noakhali, Bhola, Bagerhat, Patuakhali and Lakshmipur districts on Friday night as cyclone 'Fani' swept the country's southwestern region, reports UNB.

In Noakhali, a two-year-old-boy, Md Ismail, son of a certain Abdur Rahman, was killed in a tree collapse at Char Aminul Haque village in Subarnachar upazila around 10:30pm, said Iqbal Hasan, a upazila project implementation officer.

Besides, he said, around 30 people were injured and hundreds of houses damaged at Char Wapda and Char Jabbar unions during the cyclonic storm.

The injured were taken to Subarnachar Upazila Health Complex.

In Bhola, housewife Rani Begum was killed as their house at Poralia village in Sadar upazila collapsed at night.

The cyclonic storm also damaged several hundred houses and uprooted huge trees and electric poles in the district.

In Chandpur, at least 50 houses at Shilar Char, Khaskandi, Majher Char, Monder Bazar villages and eight shops at Monder Bazar in Sadar upazila were damaged in the storm, said sadar upazila nirbahi officer Kaniz Fatema.

Besides, at least five people were injured.

Meanwhile, around 40 dwelling houses were damaged in different char areas when Fani swept the areas around 3.45am, said Haimchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ferdousi Begum.

In Bagerhat, Shaninur Begum, 35, wife of one Mozahar, was killed as a tree collapsed on her in Sadar upazila at night, said Md Jahirul, additional deputy commissioner of Bagerhat.

Nasir Ahmed, a project implementation at Sharankhola, said cracks have developed at three points of Baleshwar river protection embankment in the upazila.

Besides, 150 metres of an embankment from Bogi to Gabtola were damaged, causing floods in Gabtola, Chaltabunia and Dakhshin Khali villages of the upazila.

In Lakshmipur, Anwara Khatun, 65, was killed as a house collapsed on her at Char Neyamatpur in Ramgati upazila around 5:00am on Saturday, said Ramgati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Rafiqul Haque.

Besides, 15 people were injured and around 50 houses and a school damaged in the storm.

In Patuakhali, Abid Musulli, 35, son of one Harun Musulli, was killed as a tree collapsed on him while he was riding a motorcycle at Manoshitola village in Kolapara upazila early morning, said Kuakata municipal mayor Abdul Barek Mollah.