Archive for the ‘cyclone’ Category

Hundreds killed in hurricane, Thousands of people injured : Trail of catastrophic devastation in coastal areas

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

bangladesh-newspaper-online-cyclone-pic200.jpg

Staff Correspondent

The serious cyclonic storm hurricane SIDR lashed the coastal districts in the southwestern region of the country Thursday midnight leaving over 700 people dead and many injured, killing domestic and wild animals, damaging thousands of houses, uprooting trees and destroying crop lands and vegetable fields.


Reports on the trail of devastation were still reaching the capital Dhaka from different hurricane hit areas till the filing of the report on Friday night. Many people are still missing. The death toll may rise further. Borguna, Patuakhali, Jhalokathi, Madaripur, Barisal, Bagerhat, Shariatpur and Bhola are the worst hit areas. Tens of thousands of people have been rendered homless. (more…)

6 killed, life paralyzed in capital

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

bangladesh-cyclone-pic1.jpg

Staff Correspondent

The powerful cyclonic storm battered the capital Dhaka Thursday midnight killing at least six people damaging thousands of thatched houses and uprooting trees.


The capital plunged into darkness following disruption to the national power grid. The city people since early hours of Friday have been facing the worst situation due to severe power and water crisis. Visiting the affected spots, TBT correspondent found two trees collapsing near the main gate of the Supreme Court and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Medical University leaving one ansar member critically injured. Six people died in the severe hurricane SIDR in different parts of the capital on Thursday midnight. (more…)

Power collapse triggers chain reaction

Friday, November 16th, 2007

In addition to suffering the miseries inflicted by the lack of power and water supplies, people spent a day amid increasing tension and uncertainty. (more…)

Cyclone Sidr batters coast: Armed Forces, thousands of volunteers engaged in massive evacuation; 32 lakh people taken to safer places; Govt ready to meet all exigencies

Friday, November 16th, 2007

bangladesh-newspaper-online-cyclone-pic16.jpgbangladesh-newspaper-online-cyclone-pic1.jpg

Staff ReporterThe severe cyclone-SIDR hit the country’s coast yesterday evening with a windspeed from 140 to 165 killometres per hour (kph).The cyclone originating in the Bay started pounding the entire south and southwestern coast from Cox’s Bazar to Satkhira districts. The number of the vulnerable people living in the coastline are nearly 1 crore 20 lakh.

Officials engaged in evacuation from remote offshore islands said winds with a speed of 100 to 130 kph which was packing with gusty wind to 165 kph started lashing the areas ahead of impending attack by the super severe Cyclone “SIDR”, a category four super storm.

“This cyclone has a devastating capacity like that of the November 12, 1970 cyclone and the US hurricane caterina,” a senior meterolgist said. (more…)

Over 700 killed as cyclone wreaks havoc

Friday, November 16th, 2007

bangladesh-newspaper-online.jpgDeath toll may cross 1,000; all communications, utility services snapped; thousands missing; houses, crops, trees destroyed; lakhs homeless
Syed Ashfaqul Haque and Julfikar Ali Manik
bangladesh-newspaper-online.jpg

Bangladesh dated with a nightmare as cyclone Sidr ripped through the southwestern coast late Thursday, killing over 700 people and demolishing houses, crops, vegetables and trees alike along its trail of devastation over an area of thousands of square kilometers.

Packing winds over 220km an hour, the fierce tropical storm roared across the shoreline after it hit landfall at the Khulna-Barisal coast at 7:30pm Thursday, cutting off all communications and utility services across the country.

β€œI’ve never seen anything like this in my 47 years life,” Khalilur Rahman, a government official in Patuakhali, told The Daily Star over telephone last night. β€œIt was a panic beyond description. People found no way but to keep on screaming as long as the cyclone ran rampage here.”

One of the fiercest cyclones in the history of the land, the Sidr rode

on wailing winds, driving rains and tidal surges to wreak havoc for over 14 hours before moving to Asam and Tripura through the Sylhet border, turning into a well-marked low yesterday. (more…)