Cyclone Amphan HIGHLIGHTS: No Stones Will Be Left Unturned To Help Bengal, Says PM Modi
Cyclone Amphan Updates: Cyclone Amphan which is battering India and Bangladesh has so far killed at least 72 people in West Bengal's six districts and 12 people in seven coastal districts of Bangladesh. The super cyclonic storm is now turning into a land depression. Reports from Bangladeshi media said the cyclone is likely to move further in a north-northeasterly direction and weaken gradually The seven districts where the destruction and loss of lives have taken place in Bangladesh are Patuakhali, Satkhira, Pirojpur, Bhola and Barguna. The Bangladesh Met Office instructed the maritime ports to lower great danger signals and hoist local cautionary signal No. 3 instead, said Shamsuddin Ahmed, Director of the weather office was quoted as saying It;s double whammy for West Bengal and Bangladesh which have been overwrought with the rising cases of Coronavirus and now Cyclone Amphan which is causing mayhem. The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra in Bangladesh have been asked by authorities to keep following great danger signal No. 10, while Chattogram and Cox's Bazar ports were advised to continue hoisting great danger signal No. 9, as Cyclone Amphan approached the coast. As per details available, the low lying areas of the coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars were submerged by storm that surged 10-15 feet above the normal astronomical tide. Several parts of neighbouring West Bengal and Odisha have been lashed by gusty winds and heavy rains and so far the death toll recorded from both states is 20. Check all HIGHLIGHTS and visuals of Amphan Cyclone in India.
Four died due to electrocution at Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas district.
Three died so far in Coastal area in South 24 Parganas district .
A 37 year old man died due to tree fall on him at Bishnupur
Two died at Parnashree due to cyclone.
A youth died due to electrocution near Joyrampur Post office.
Two died after tree fell on their house at Chakdah in Nadia district.
75 years old man died after wall collapsed at Kalyani in Nadia district last night when cyclone hit the place .
Two bikers died after being electrocuted at Batra in Howrah district today morning.
One died after tree fell on him at Basberia in Hooghly district. A 35 year old youth died after house collapsed at Chinsura.
32 year old youth died of electrocution at Belur.
At least seven persons, including a six-year-old boy, were killed as a powerful cyclone battered Bangladesh, inundating many areas and damaging scores of houses, authorities said on Thursday.
Cyclone 'Amphan', the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades, made a landfall on Wednesday evening. It was the most powerful storm since cyclone 'Sidr' killed nearly 3,500 people in 2007.
Many low-lying areas were inundated, embankments collapsed, trees uprooted and houses damaged by the cyclone in the coastal districts of Bangladesh, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
(PTI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is monitoring the situation from Nabanna, the state secretariat, however, claimed at least 10-12 people lost their lives.
"Area after area has been ruined. I have experienced a war-like situation today. At least 10-12 people have died.
Nandigram, Ramnagar....the two districts of North and South 24 Parganas are destroyed," she said.
The United Nations and the Bangladesh government are making preparations as the powerful cyclone Amphan makes landfall in the region, a UN spokesperson said. The Secretary-General's spokesman, St phane Dujarric, said that the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team, co-led by the UN and the Government of Bangladesh, is working on preparedness and response activities.
"Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the UN and the Government are making preparations as Super Cyclone Storm Amphan is set to make landfall," Dujarric said, adding that more than 14 million people may be impacted by the cyclone in the country.
The United Nations and the Bangladesh government are making preparations as the powerful cyclone Amphan makes landfall in the region, a UN spokesperson said. The Secretary-General's spokesman, St phane Dujarric, said that the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team, co-led by the UN and the Government of Bangladesh, is working on preparedness and response activities.
"Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the UN and the Government are making preparations as Super Cyclone Storm Amphan is set to make landfall," Dujarric said, adding that more than 14 million people may be impacted by the cyclone in the country.
The United Nations and the Bangladesh government are making preparations as the powerful cyclone Amphan makes landfall in the region, a UN spokesperson said. The Secretary-General's spokesman, St phane Dujarric, said that the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team, co-led by the UN and the Government of Bangladesh, is working on preparedness and response activities.
"Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the UN and the Government are making preparations as Super Cyclone Storm Amphan is set to make landfall," Dujarric said, adding that more than 14 million people may be impacted by the cyclone in the country.
Cyclone 'Amphan' weakened into a Very Severe Cyclone Storm, while half of its eye is over land and the entire eye will be over too soon, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday evening.
The Super Cyclone had on Tuesday weakened into an Extremely Severe Cyclone Storm and now to a Very Severe Cyclone Storm. According to the weather agency's data, it will dull down to Severe Cyclonic Storm by 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Cyclonic Storm by 5.30 a.m. and Depression at 11.30 a.m. on Thursday.
Kolkata: Extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' made a landfall at 2:30 pm on Wednesday between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, the meteorological department said.
Bhubaneswar: Cyclone "Amphan" left a trail of destruction in Odisha as it triggered heavy downpour coupled with high-velocity winds while hurtling towards the West Bengal coast on Wednesday, uprooting trees and flattening fragile structures.
Bengaluru: A loud 'thundering' sound in several parts of Bengaluru on Wednesday afternoon triggered panic among the residents, while the officials ruled out the possibility of it being an earthquake.
Dhaka: Bangladesh has shifted over two million people to storm shelters and deployed the military to deal with the powerful cyclone 'Amphan' which is set to make a landfall on the costal districts, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday.
Cyclone Amphan is currently crossing the West Bengal coast near the Sunderbans and will reach near Kolkata by evening, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday as the storm was making a landfall.
"We are hopeful that by 7 PM the entire cyclone will enter the land," he added. Strong winds with an intensity of 160 kilometres per hour have commenced in coastal West Bengal districts.
Cyclone Amphan is currently crossing the West Bengal coast near the Sunderbans and will reach near Kolkata by evening, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday as the storm was making a landfall.
"We are hopeful that by 7 PM the entire cyclone will enter the land," he added. Strong winds with an intensity of 160 kilometres per hour have commenced in coastal West Bengal districts.
The eye of Cyclone 'Amphan' is about to touch land, India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday, after the landfall process of the cyclone commenced in the afternoon.
Landfall process commenced near Sundarbans in West Bengal at 2.30 p.m. The forward sectors of the wall cloud region have hit land and the process, the IMD said, will continue for four hours.
"First arm of the cyclone has touched the land. Its eye is expected to touch land anytime soon," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said at a press briefing.
The Cyclone is 190 km east-northeast of Odisha's Paradip, 65 km east-southeast of West Bengal's Digha, 35 km from Sagar island and 225 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh.
Landfall process of cyclone Amphan starts the Cyclone wall cloud is already on land, said secretary, ministry of Earth Sciences. The landfall process is expected to last for at least 4 hours and heavy rainfall is being reported in various parts of West Bengal.
Landfall process of cyclone Amphan starts the Cyclone wall cloud is already on land, said secretary, ministry of Earth Sciences. The landfall process is expected to last for at least 4 hours and heavy rainfall is being reported in various parts of West Bengal.
According to an update of the India Meteorological Department, the cyclone lay currently centred about 170 km east-northeast of Odisha's Paradip, 105 km south-southeast of West Bengal's Digha and 90 km from Sagar Island and 240 km southwest of Bangladesh's Khepupara.
Over 3 lakh people have already been evacuated from the coastal districts of West Bengal, including East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, and North 24-Parganas.
Other south Bengal districts like West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, and Kolkata will also experience heavy rain during the cyclonic spell -- one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal since 1999.
Meanwhile, the departure of 02301 Howrah-New Delhi AC Special Express has been cancelled in view of cyclone Amphan on Wednesday, eastern Railway (ER) sources said. Similarly, 02302 New Delhi-Howrah AC Special Express on May 21 will also remain cancelled.
West Bengal disaster management authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation. A control room has been opened at the state Secretariat Nabanno.
Background
Amphan Cyclone: Cyclone Amphan, which has weakened from a super cyclone to an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', will make a landfall in Bengal between Wednesday afternoon and evening even as strong winds accompanied by heavy rain lashed different south Bengal districts since morning. Strong winds and heavy rain continue to lash Chandipur and other parts of Odisha, as widespread effect of Amphan Cyclone.
Amphan (which is pronounced UM-PUN) lays 155-km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha, 177-km south of Digha and 260 km from West Bengal capital Kolkata. It has moved towards north-northeast with a speed of 22 km/hour during the past 6 hours. According to MeT Department sources, Amphan will move towards north-northeast and pass through the West Bengal-Bangladesh coastline between Digha and Hatiya Island, located close to Sunderbans region, with a wind speed of 155-165 km/hour gusting to 185 km/hour.
Over 3 lakh people have already been evacuated from the coastal districts of West Bengal, including East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, and North 24-Parganas.
Other south Bengal districts like West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, and Kolkata will also experience heavy rain during the cyclonic spell -- one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal since 1999.
Indian Navy has said that the Eastern Naval Command is monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal closely & Naval Officers-in-Charge (West Bengal) & (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective State Administrations to augment rescue and relief operations as needed.
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