Death toll rises to 35 as Sitrang leaves trail of destruction

At least 35 people were killed in eight districts across Bangladesh as cyclone Sitrang made landfall and crossed the Barishal-Chattogram coast on Monday midnight, leaving a trail of destruction.

Enamur Rahman, state minister for disaster management and relief, however, said on Tuesday the cyclone claimed nine lives.

The state minister said Sitrang has damaged around 10,000 houses, 6,000 hectares of cropland and 1,000 fish enclosures of 491 unions across the country.

While addressing a press conference at his secretariat office in Dhaka, the junior minister said there is no impact of Sitrang in Bangladesh right now except for water-logging in some areas and electricity disruption.

Everything including roadway communications is normal now as many trees collapsed on the streets have already been removed, he said.

State Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said on Tuesday said there are 4.80 crore consumers of electricity in Bangladesh and of them around 80 lakh have been impacted by Sitrang.

Sitrang damaged around 1,500 to 2,000 electric poles including 800 of the Rural Electrification Board, rendering 80 lakh consumers without power, he said.

Although most of the casualties happened because of falling of trees, the highest casualty from a single incident happened in Mirsarai, Chattogram, when eight workers died in a boat capsize, according to media reports. 

Chattogram

Bodies of eight workers, who went missing after a dredger sank in the Bay of Bengal during cyclone Sitrang on Monday night, were recovered from the Bay off the coast of Mirsarai in Chattogram on Tuesday. 

Five of the deceased were identified as Mahmud Molla, Alamin, Imam Molla, Abul Bashar, Tarek of Patuakhali district.

The dredger named Saikat-2 was anchored with the eight workers on board around 1000 feet off the embankment in Bashundhara area of the upazila and sank in the sea when Sitrang hit Bangladesh around 10:00pm, said Md Kabir Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mirsarai police station.

Mirsarai police and fire service divers recovered the bodies from inside of the sunken dredger around 2:00pm, the OC added.

Munshiganj

In Munshiganj, a 28-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter were killed when a huge tree collapsed on them while they were asleep on Monday night at Kanakshar village in Louhajang upazila of the district.

The deceased were identified as Asma Akter, wife of Abdur Razzak and Sumaiya Akter, said additional superintendent Munshiganj Police Yeasmin Ferdous.

Razzak was also injured during the incident. He was taken to Dhaka for better treatment.

Noakhali

In Noakhali, a one-year-old girl was killed and her mother was injured when a tree collapsed on them at Habibia village in Subarnachar upazila of the district early Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Sneha, daughter of Abdullah of the village.

Debopriyo Das, officer-in-charge of Charjabbar Police Station, said the tree collapsed on their house when Amena Begum, 25 and her daughter Sneha were sleeping around 3:00 am during the storm.

Cumilla

In Cumilla’s Nangalkot upazila, a couple and their four-year-old daughter died after a huge tree fell on their house at Hesakhal area on Monday night. They were asleep when it happened.

MD Raihan Mehbub, Nangalkot Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said police rushed to the scene after the incident took place killing Nizam Uddin, his wife Sharmin Akter Shathi and their daughter Nusrat Akter Liza.

The incident occurred around 10:00pm when the wind speed was 60 kmph in Cumilla as the cyclone was making landfall, he said.

Narial

A 35-year-old woman — Morzina Begum — was first reported to be dead as a tree fell on her head at Lohagara upazila complex in Narail around 11:00am on Monday.

Morzina hailing from Bagerhat used to work as a maid at Rajpur village in the upazila, said Md Nasir Uddin, Officer-in-Charge of Lohagara Police Station.

During the incident her 11-year-old son was with her, but he survived, said the OC.

Sirajganj

In Sirajganj sadar upazila, a mother and her son died as their boat sank in a canal of Jamuna River on Monday night.

The deceased were identified as Ayesha Siddka, 30, wife of Khokon Sheikh from Purbo Mohonpur village, and her son Arafat Rahman, 5, said Mosaddek Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Bangabandhu Bridge West Police Station.

Ayesha’s husband and two other children were rescued from the scene of the accident, he said.

They were travelling home through the canal on a boat around 8:00pm Monday when it capsized amid bad weather. Arafat died at the scene while Aysha was declared dead after being taken to a hospital, said the OC.

Bhola

In Bhola, four people died at sadar, Doulatkhan, Lalmohan and Char Fasson being crushed under trees and from drowning.

The deceased were identified as Mofijul Islam, 60, from sadar upazila, Bibi Khadiza, 20, from Doulatkhan upazila, Rabeya, 30, from Lalmohan upazila, and Monir, 30 from Char Fasson upazila, said Delwar Hossain, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer.

Mofizul died after a tree fell on his house on Monday night at Dhania union in sadar upazila and Bibi Khadiza also died being crushed under a tree. Monir was on a motorcycle when a tree branch fell, leaving him dead on the spot while Rabeya drowned.

Barguna

In Barguna sadar upazila a 110-year-old woman died while having dinner as a tree fell on her house at Sonakhali village.

She was alone in the house and died instantly, said Humayun Kabir, local Union Parishad Chairman.

Gopalganj

In Gopalganj district two women were crushed under trees at Tungipara upazila.

The deceased were Sharmin, 25, wife of Rezaul from Patgati union and Rumisa, 65, wife of Hanna Talukder from Banshbaria union.

Sharmin died on Monday night as a tree fell on her at Panchkahania village during storm while Rumisa got crushed under a tree at her home at Dumuria village, said Minhazur Rahman, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer.

He said their families will get Tk 25,000 as assistance, Tk 6000 for rehabilitation and tin sheets.

Tangail

Two police constables and an accused were killed in a road accident in Madhupur upazila of Tangail, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo. 

Police members of Narayanpur investigation centre in Jamalpur Sadar upazila were going to Dhaka in a microbus for DNA testing of the two accused. On the way, the microbus hit a truck parked at Golabari bus stand at around 8:30pm killing the two policemen: Constables Nurul Islam and Md Sohel, and one of the accused Lalon.

In another incident, Sharif Fakir of Sabalia Panjapara area of Tangail city was electrocuted while trying to remove an electric device that was submerged in rainwater in his house. 

Shariatpur

Safia Begum, 65, died after she was crushed under a tree in Shariatpur. She is the wife of Halan Musalli of Cedarchar area of Zajira upazila of the district. Zajira Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kamrul Hasan said the death could have been avoided if Safia's family had gone to the shelter.

Cox's Bazar

Two people have died in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar. A 71-year-old man named Shouming died after falling off the deck when a ship carrying goods from Myanmar to Teknaf port was hit by the cyclone. Shouming was a citizen of Myanmar and was the cook of the ship. 

Besides, the body of a child who went missing during the storm was later recovered from a pond in Teknaf municipality. Shohena, 9, was the daughter of Jafar Alam, a resident of Jaliapara of Teknaf.

Patuakhali

Nurul Islam, 45, a worker of a trawler, went missing after a brick-laden trawler capsized in the Lohalia River at Pratappur jetty area of Patuakhali Sadar upazila. Divers of Patuakhali River Fire Station recovered his body around 10:30am on Tuesday. When the trawler was anchored in bad weather, it sank. 

Gazipur-

A child named Anisur Rahman, aged 9, was killed when a house collapsed at Ikuria village in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur. The mud house collapsed and crushed the adjacent tin house during the cyclone. 

Brahmanbaria

A man named Joynal Abedin, 25, was crushed to death under a tree at Dhajnagar village in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria. He was a day labourer. Joynal's wife Nipa Akhter, 20, is undergoing treatment at Kasba Upazila Health Complex. 

Jhalokati

A farmer named Babul Sikder, 45, was killed in Nalchiti of Jhalakathi. He fell into the water on his way from home to a shelter. He was later rescued from a canal by the side of the road.