Cyclone ‘Mokha’ moves towards Bangladesh, five lakh people evacuated to safer places
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Bangladesh authorities on Saturday launched a major operation to evacuate nearly half a million people along the southeast seaboard as an “extremely dangerous” tropical cyclone is about to make landfall in the country.
Bangladesh authorities on Saturday launched a major operation to evacuate nearly half a million people along the southeast seaboard as an “extremely dangerous” tropical cyclone is about to make landfall in the country. This is expected to pose a threat to the Rohingya refugee camp. Cyclone ‘Mokha’, one of the most powerful cyclones to hit Bangladesh in nearly two decades, is forecast to make landfall near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on Sunday. Cyclone Mokha is approaching, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.
We have kept cyclone centers ready and made all kinds of preparations to deal with it. The evacuation operation has been launched as the sea port of Cox’s Bazar has been advised to hoist danger signal number 10 as Cyclone Mokha is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northwesterly direction. Meteorologists said the storm could hit Bangladesh’s southeastern border district of Cox’s Bazar where more than one million Rohingya refugees live. Bangladeshi authorities have set up 55 shelter centers on the Bhasan Char offshore island, where some 30,000 Rohingya refugees have been transferred from the mainland.
“The district administration has converted 576 designated cyclone shelters as well as social, educational and religious institutions in Cox’s Bazar into temporary shelters to provide shelter to nearly five lakh people,” Deputy Commissioner of the coastal district Muhammad Shaheen Imran told reporters. Around 8,600 Red Crescent volunteers are involved in the operation to relocate people and the district administration has arranged transport to take them to shelters, Imran said.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Office said in its latest weather bulletin that ‘Cyclone Mokha’ is moving north-northwest with winds of up to 175 kmph. An official of the Meteorological Department said, due to the cyclone, high waves of eight to 12 feet can rise beyond the normal waves. Prime Minister Hasina warned that the cyclone could disrupt electricity and gas supplies and water supply, especially in coastal areas. Chief Meteorologist Azizur Rahman said, this cyclone (Mokha) is the most powerful storm since Cyclone ‘Sidr’ of 2007.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had earlier on Friday predicted a wave height of 2-2.5 meters over the weekend, causing landslides and flooding in low-lying areas of northern Myanmar as well as parts of Bangladesh. Is. WMO spokeswoman Claire Nullis said at a press conference in Geneva, “This is a very dangerous cyclone and … it is associated with strong winds … millions of people will be affected by the cyclone and after its landfall.” Meanwhile, thousands of people have been relocated from St Martin’s Island, which lies about nine km south of the tip of the Cox’s Bazar-Tecnauf peninsula.
Junior Minister for Disaster Management Enamur Rahman said six districts along the southern coastline may face strong sea waves. Amid drizzle, the city witnessed calm since morning and residents of low-lying areas of the city and its adjoining areas started moving to cyclone shelters, a journalist from Cox’s Bazar told PTI. Have given. Olga Sarrado, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency, said preparations were being made to partially remove people from the Rohingya refugee camp if needed. Chittagong port has been put on alert. The examination to be held at the National University on Sunday has been postponed.
Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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