9 Dead As Cyclone Remal Ravages West Bengal, Bangladesh

Cyclone Remal: Three persons suffered injuries in Kolkata's Manicktala area after the severe cyclonic storm struck, though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained, as per officials.

Cyclone Remal made landfall starting Sunday killing two people in West Bengal and two people in Bangladesh.

Source : PTI

At least nine people have been reported dead after severe cyclonic storm 'Remal' ravaged through the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal on Sunday. The landfall process for Cyclone Remal began at 8:30 pm on Sunday over the adjacent coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country.

Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction in regions spanning the two countries with trees uprooted, electric poles twisted, and flattening fragile dwellings. 

Around 2,00,000 people have been displaced due to the cyclone while 2 people from West Bengal and seven from Bangladesh have been killed. 

A man from Entally area in Kolkata, identified as Md Sajid (50), was killed as a concrete chunk fell on him, according to a Hindustan Times report. One 80-year-old woman, identified as Renuka Mondal was also killed when an uprooted tree fell on her at Frazerganj in South 24 Parganas, the HT report added. 

Across the border, a 55-year-old woman was killed when her house collapsed due to heavy rains on Monday in Bangladesh's southern district of Bhola, as per a Dhaka Tribune report. The deceased has been identified as Maneja Khatun, a resident of Lalmohan upazila of the district.

A 72-year-old man, identified as Shawkat Ali Morol, from Satkhira in southwestern Bangladesh died while going to a shelter during the storm caused by Cyclone Remal, the DT report added. 

A person was washed away by a storm surge while returning home to bring his sister and aunt to a shelter in Patkhauli, as per PTI. 

Five people were killed in Barishal, and Chattogram, Dhaka-based Somoy TV reported.

In Mongla, a trawler sank, leaving two people, including a child, missing.

Three persons suffered injuries in Manicktala area of Kolkata after the cyclone struck, though the exact cause is yet to be known, an official said, according to news agency PTI. 

The severe cyclonic storm weakened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, sustaining wind speeds of 80-90 kilometres per hour, following landfall around midnight of Sunday, said the India Meteorological Department on Monday. 

t is likely to move northeastwards and weaken further, the department said in a bulletin.