3 killed as Komen crosses Ctg coast

Cyclonic storm ‘Komen’ moved northwards, weaken slightly and started crossing Chittagong coast near Sandwip at about 9:00pm on Thursday with maximum about 60-70 kilometre per hour sustained wind speed in gusts within 54km of the cyclone centre.It crossed Saint Martin’s Island on early Thursday and Cox’s Bazar on Thursday noon.At least three people – one each in Cox’s Bazaar, Patuakhali and Bhola – died falling under uprooted trees and 50 were injured in storm and rain in southeast part of the country under influence of the cyclonic storm on Thursday.Besides, thousands of houses were damaged and inundated, several hundred fisheries projects were washed away and vast areas of croplands went under water, said reports received from south-eastern districts.Cox’s Bazar Met Officer official AKM Nazmol Hoque told New Age that cyclonic storm Komen already hit Saint Martin’s Island early Wednesday with 60 to 80 kph wind speed. It passed Cox’s Bazar sea port around noon on Thursday. ‘But some peripheral cloud and gusty winds are also over on Cox’s Bazar.’Besides regular shelter houses, the administration shut classes of schools and opened temporary shelter houses there and used loudspeakers from early morning to ask people to go there leaving their homes to avoid loss of lives, reports received from different southeastern and southern districts said.Sea remained very rough and most of the low laying coastal areas went under water. The coastal rivers were also remained rough, the reports said.Roads in Cox’s Bazaar, Chittagong, Patuakhali and many other places became almost empty from Thursday noon.Flight operation at Cox’s Bazar airport remained suspended from Wednesday and operations at Chittagong seaport and airport remained suspended since Thursday morning, officials concerned said.Fishing boats and trawlers were seen anchored in different fish landing stations and canals in the coastal belt.
Many of the affected areas had to endure power cuts to avoid risks.Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation control room in Dhaka said that the authorities suspended movement of all the ferries and ships in inland rivers and waterways from early Thursday. The ferry service on only Paturia-Daulatdia and Maowa-Keorakandi routs on Padma river was going on.
In an office order, the Roads and Highways Department cancelled the holiday of its officers and staff in coastal districts until Saturday.The Chittagong divisional office of Directorate General of Health Services on Thursday also cancelled the holidays of all the officials and staff under it until further order to provide emergency treatment and medicines to the affected people.A Met Office special weather bulletin at 9:00pm said that after the landfall the cyclone system might move west-northwestwards and weaken gradually by giving precipitation.Maritime ports of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar have been advised to keep hoisted danger signal number 7. The coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, and their offshore islands and chars will come under danger signal number 7, it said.It asked maritime ports of Mongla and Payra to keep hoisted danger signal number 5.The coastal districts of Borguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirozpur, Jhalakati, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars will come under danger signal number 5, it said.Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Jhalakati, Pirozpur, Borguna, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by storm surge of 3-5 feet height above normal astronomical tide, the bulletin said.New Age correspondent in Chittagong reported that the region witnessed moderate rain from early Thursday but heavy rain since evening.Many parts of the city and the district had to sustain power cuts till evening to avoid further risks, locals said.Commuters and vehicles on the streets in both the city and district’s major links noticeably constrained following the rough weather outside.New Age correspondent in Cox’s Bazar reported that at least one was killed, 50 were injured, 500 houses were damaged, thousands of houses were submerged and hundreds of shrimp projects and ponds were washed away in the district by stormy wind and heavy rain as Komen hit the district.The deceased, Mohammad Islam, 50, of Paschaimpara village of Saint Martin’s Island died as a tree fell on him during a storm that swept over the island at midnight past Wednesday with heavy rain.Some 20 fishing boats at Saint Martin’s islana and Sahaporirdip of Teknaf were damaged by the storm.Thousands of houses at coastal areas of Moheskhali, Kutubdia, Chakaria, Pekoua, Teknaf, Ramu and Cox’s Bazar sadar were flooded by three feet tide.Besides, the return of 159 Bangladeshi illegal migrants from Myanmar was delayed due to the cyclonic storm as the flag meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Border Guard Police, scheduled for Thursday, was suspended for the inclement weather, Cox’s Bazar BGB commanding officer Mohammad Rabiul Islam said.New Age correspondent in Patuakhali reported that Md Noor Islam, 52, of Kallayan Kalas village under Galachipa in the district was killed as a tree fell on him at about 12:30pm while strong wind blew over the area.Over 100 shoals were over flooded as high tide influenced by the cyclone Komen.In Bhola, Manzuara Bibi, 55, of Char Kachua under Lalmohan died as a tree fell on her near her house around noon, Lalmohon upazila nirbahi officer Zakir Hossain said.Char Kukri Mukri police outpost sub-inspector said that they received information from local fishermen that at least 24 fishermen went missing as three trawlers capsized at Charfashion estuary on early Thursday.

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