The very severe cyclonic storm, Mocha, has been ripping through the country’s coral island, Saint Martin, since around 2:00 pm on Sunday. As of writing the report at 4:45pm, the eight-square-kilometre island was experiencing profound winds accompanied by heavy rainfall.
Hundreds of trees have been uprooted and at least 340 houses of Majhorpara, Konarpara, Galachipa, Dakshinpara, Paschimpara and Uttarpara have been destroyed in the cyclonic storm. Several villages of Uttarpara and Paschimpara are being inundated in tidal surges.
More than 6,000 people, mostly women and children, have taken shelter at three cyclone shelters, several educational institutions and over 37 resorts and cottages.
St. Martin union parishad chairman, Mujibur Rahman, told Prothom Alo on Sunday morning that the situation since the morning was normal.
But the heavy rainfall accompanied by profound winds began after 2:00pm and continued till 4:00pm, resulting in the damage of houses and trees across the island. 10 to 15 people were injured. The condition of one woman is critical, he added.
A businessman of St Marin, Nur Mohammad, said a large tree fell on the head of Faridul Islam’s wife when she was rushing to cyclone shelter from her home at Konarpara area. Later the locals rescued the woman and took her to St. Martin Hospital.
The panel mayor of St. Martin union, Nurul Amin, said the condition of the woman is critical.
Teknaf police station officer in charge, Md Abdul Halim, told Prothom Alo that the cyclone is ravaging the island of 10,000 people. A woman was wounded critically as a tree fell on her. Her identity has not been confirmed yet. The residents of the island were evacuated to the cyclone shelters.