4 dead as cyclone Bulbul lashes coastal districts

Four people were killed in Khulna, Bagerhat and Patuakhali districts as the severe cyclone Bulbul made a landfall in Khulna and adjoining southwestern part of the country early Sunday before weakening into a deep depression, reports UNB. 

The severe cyclonic storm Bulbul completed crossing the West Bengal-Khulna coast near the Sundarbans around 5:00am and then weekend further into a deep depression.

The depression was lying over Bagerhat, Barishal and Patuakhali regions at 6:00am on Sunday, said a Met Office bulletin on Sunday adding that it is likely to move in a northwesterly direction further and weaken gradually.

In Khulna, Promila Mondol, 52, was killed as a tree fell on her during the storm in Dacope upazila in the morning, said upazila nirbahi officer Abdul Wadud.

Besides, Alamgir Hossain, 40, was killed as a tree branch fell on him in Dighalia upazila of the district around 9:00am, said Mollik Morshed, officer-in-charge of Dighalia police station.

In Patuakhali, Hameda Fakir, 65, was killed as a tree collapsed on a house at Rampura village in Mirzapur upazila early morning, said upazila chairman Abu Bakar.

Kuakata municipality mayor Shah Alam Hawaldar said some 10,000 people were marooned in low-lying areas while crops on vast tracts of land went under water.

In Bagerhat, Samia Khatun, 15, was killed and two others were injured after a tree fell on their house while they were asleep at Bhorasapur village in Rampal upazila in the morning, said Pankaj Chandra Roy, superintendent of Bagerhat police.

Khalek Kanak, Rampal upazila fisheries officer, said 3,529 fish enclosures in different upazilas were flooded due to heavy rain triggered by cyclone Bulbul. 

Besides, crops on 35,529 hectares land were damaged by the cyclone in the district, he said.
In Satkhira, around 80 per cent kutcha (mud house) and semi-pucca (semi-concrete) houses were damaged at Gabura union during the cyclone, said Shyamnagar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Md Kamruzzaman adding that electricity supply and internet connections remained snapped in the upazila since the cyclone lashed the area.

Several hundred shrimp enclosures went under water in Gabura, Padmapukur, Atulia, Kashimari and other unions in the upazila, he said.

In Bhola, at least 10 people were injured and 15 dwellings damaged in Lalmohon and Char Fasson upazilas on Saturday night.

Five of the injured were identified as Sajeda Begum, Tariq, Arif, Sharif and Mustafiz, and they all are residents of the village.

Of them, Tariq, 17 who suffered severe injuries is undergoing treatment at Char Fasson hospital, said Mir Khairul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Lalmohan police station.

Lalmohan upazila nirbahi officer Habibul Hasan Rumi said eight people were injured at Lord Hardinge union in the upazila. Four of the injured were taken to Char Fasson Hospital for treatment.

At least seven houses were damaged by the storm at different villages in Ewajpur union of Char Fasson upazila around 9:00pm, said Ewajpur union parishad chairman Selim Hawlader.

The coastal districts of Chattogram, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Faridpur, Madaripur, Cumilla, Dhaka, Sylhet and Mymensingh are likely to experience a sweeping wind of 50-60 kph in gusts/squalls with heavy to very heavy rains due to the deep depression.