Bangladesh has shut all river transports until further notice as Cyclone Yaas brews in the Bay of Bengal.
The shutdown has been effective since 4:30 pm on Tuesday, said Mizanur Rahman, a deputy director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), reports bdnews24.com.
“The announcement has been made as an additional precaution so that no lives are lost,” Mizanur said.
In the latest bulletin, Bangladesh issued local cautionary signal 3 for maritime ports.
Bangladesh resumed launch services on Monday after a seven-week suspension imposed as a measure against the spread of COVID-19.
Intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Yaas is hurtling towards the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. Meteorologists forecast that the cyclone will bypass Bangladesh if it maintains its current course.
However, the storm could threaten the habitat of many creatures in the Sundarbans if it crashes into the coasts during the full moon which will create huge tidal waves.
India began moving more than a million people to safety on its east coast on Tuesday as the cyclone neared, days after a deadly cyclone hit the west coast.
India’s Meteorological Department said Cyclone Yaas was powering across the Bay of Bengal and would batter the eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday.
“It is likely to cause large-scale damage," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told Reuters by telephone.
Officials began moving people in cars and boats from low-lying coastal areas to shelters at government buildings, schools, and other sturdy structures. Pregnant women and children were sent to government hospitals, as fishermen shifted boats to safety inland.