Cyclone Hamoon killed at least two people in southeastern Bangladesh and forced nearly 275,000 people to seek shelter on Wednesday October 25, officials told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We have evacuated 273,352 people to cyclone shelters,” Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the disaster management ministry, told AFP. He added that two people were killed, one by a falling tree, the other when a building collapsed. “At least ten people were injured and are being treated in hospitals,” he said. Power lines were down and heavy rain hit coastal villages and islands, but no significant damage was reported, Hasan said.
Cyclone Hamoon made landfall in the coastal districts of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday morning, accompanied by winds of 104 kilometers per hour, said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, an expert with the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. “It is likely to move further inland and gradually weaken,” Mallik said.
Climate change
Bangladesh, a predominantly low-lying country, is experiencing multiple severe weather events due to climate change. Additionally, the intensity of tropical storms is increasing, leading to heavier rainfall and stronger winds, which can lead to flash flooding, experts say.
Bangladesh’s southeastern coast is home to around 1 million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape a fierce crackdown. They live there in shelters made of flimsy tarpaulins. According to Hasan, the refugee camps are not in the main path of the cyclone.
In May, Cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh and devastated neighboring Burma, killing at least 148 people there, according to the military junta in power in that country.