At least 15 people have died as Cyclone Sitrang barrelled into Bangladesh from the Bay of Bengal, leaving a trail of devastation in coastal districts.
The scale of the storm's impact on human life and property started to become clearer on Tuesday after Sitrang was downgraded to a land depression.
Most of the casualties were caused by trees uprooted during the cyclone as it lashed the country with high winds and heavy rains, reports bdnews24.com.
According to the government, 637,000 people took shelter in about 7,000 shelters across the country.
The cyclone cut its path through the Chattogram-Barishal coast near Bhola around 9:00 pm on Monday, whipping up gale-force winds and heavy rains.
But the storm's intensity began waning around 10:00 pm, prompting people to start returning home from the shelters.
Photo: Focus Bangla
However, some of the evacuees, whose houses were in low-lying and flood-prone areas stayed at the shelters overnight. They began their journey home around dawn. Most of the storm shelters were empty by Tuesday morning.
CASUALTIES OF SITRANG
In Sirajganj Sadar, a woman and her infant son died when a small boat sank in a canal of the Jamuna River.
The victims, identified as Ayesha Khatun, 28, and Arafat Hossain, 2, were returning home to Purbo Mohanpur when the boat, carrying six others, capsized amid treacherous weather conditions, according to Mosaddek Hossain, chief of Bangabandhu Bridge West Police Station.
The child drowned after falling off his mother's lap while Ayesha died in hospital after being rescued by locals. However, the other passengers managed to get ashore, said Mosaddek.
In Barguna Sadar, a centenarian, identified as Amena Khatun, was crushed to death when a tree fell on top of her house in the Sonakhali Bazar area.
Amena lived by herself in a small house, and although she and her family members were told to evacuate to a shelter, they stayed put, according to Main Uddin Moina, a union council member.
Relatives later pulled her body out from the debris.
In Gopalganj's Tungipara, felled trees crushed two women to death during the storm, according to Tungipara Police Station chief Abul Mansoor.
Sharmin Begum, a 25-year-old housewife, was on the balcony of her home when a tree suddenly collapsed onto the house, killing her instantly.
Meanwhile, 65-year-old Rumisha Begum also died when a tree fell on her home while she was asleep.
In Cumilla’s Nangalkot, a couple and their 4-year-old daughter died in their sleep after a tree collapsed on their home at Hesakhan Pashchim Para around 11:00 pm.
The victims are Nizam Uddin, his wife Sharmin Akter Sathi and their daughter Nusrat Akter Liza.
Raihan Mehboob, chief executive of the Upazila administration, said officials of the administration and police rushed to the spot after the incident.
Md Iqbal Bahar, chairman of Hesakhal Union Council, said the tree was a large one and all the victims were asleep during the incident.
Photo: Focus Bangla
Faruk Hossain, chief of Nangalkot Police Station, said they were trying to find out if there were any other people in the house.
A rickshawpuller and a motorcyclist were injured after the brick railing on the rooftop of a four-storey building collapsed on Maneshwar Road at Jigatola in Dhaka's Hazaribagh, said Enamul Haque Khandaker, an inspector of Hazaribagh Police Station.
Locals rescued the two and took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared the rickshaw puller dead and admitted the motorcyclist for treatment, according to Inspector Bachchu Mia of the hospital’s police outpost.
The victims could not be identified immediately.
In Bhola's Lalmohan Upazila, a woman died after her house was inundated due to a tidal surge triggered by the storm.
As the water level in her house rose, Rabeya Begum, 25, headed out around 3:30 am to find shelter elsewhere, but she drowned according to Abul Kashem, chairman of Lord Hardinge Union.
Photo: Focus Bangla
Meanwhile, 62-year-old Mofizul Haque was killed by a falling tree in Bhola Sadar, according to Upazila Nirbahi Officer Touhidur Islam.
Bibi Khadija, 80, was also crushed after a tree fell on her house. Relatives rescued her and rushed her to the Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared her dead.
Al Noman, UNO of Charfesson, said Alam Swarnakar, a resident of the Ewajpur area of the Upazila, was killed after a tree branch fell on a motorcycle.
The driver was unharmed, but Alam was injured. He was taken to the Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead.
Md Nasir Uddin, chief of Lohagara Police Station in Narail, said a branch of a mahogany tree broke and fell on the head of a woman, Morjina Begum, 40, outside Rural Savings Bank near the Upazila council office on Monday afternoon.
She was seriously injured and was rushed to Lohagara Upazila Health Complex. Dr Nadira Bhuiyan, a physician at the emergency department of the complex, said Morjina died before being brought to the facility.
Morjina, a resident of Arjanbahar village of Bagerhat Sadar Upazila, was separated from her husband and living with her 11-year-old son. She worked as a house help.
Police have informed her relatives and the body will be handed over to the relatives when they come, Nasir said.
Md Azgar Ali, chief executive of the Upazila administration, said Morjina’s family will get cash aid.
