The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The severe cyclone-SIDR hit the country's coast yesterday evening with a windspeed from 140 to 165 killometres per hour (kph).

The cyclone originating in the Bay started pounding the entire south and southwestern coast from Cox's Bazar to Satkhira districts. The number of the vulnerable people living in the coastline are nearly 1 crore 20 lakh.

Officials engaged in evacuation from remote offshore islands said winds with a speed of 100 to 130 kph which was packing with gusty wind to 165 kph started lashing the areas ahead of impending attack by the super severe Cyclone "SIDR", a category four super storm.

"This cyclone has a devastating capacity like that of the November 12, 1970 cyclone and the US hurricane caterina," a senior meterolgist said.

Met Office officials said the SIDR is of 500 kilometres in radius. The eye of the SIDR, according to the satellite images, is 74 kilometers with a wind speed of 220-240 kph, is likely to cross the coastal belt of Khulna and Barisal by this morning. It was also expected to unleash tidal surges up to 20 feet in some areas, causing massive destruction of infrastructure and immovable property during the whole night.

There was no report of casualty from the affected areas till filing of this report at midnight last night.

Meanwhile, the whole country, including Dhaka city, experienced rains due to the influence of the cyclone.

Earlier, over 32 lakh people were evacuated to safe places from their respective homes on the vulnerable coast line in 15 coastal districts since Wednesday evening, when the Met Office issued 'great danger signal' No 10. Of the poeple evacuated 6,20,000 were taken to the cyclone shelters while others in the highlands.

The National Disaster Council at a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the afternoon ordered a massive rescue and relief operation in the affected areas. Members of the Council of Advisers and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed attended the meeting, among others.

Control rooms were opened in all districts and upazila headquarters. Tens of thousands of volunteers, including members of the Armed Forces, government officials, Red Crescent Society and NGOs, were readied for post-cyclone rescue and relief operations.

In Dhaka, the government opened four control rooms, including a central monitoring room at the Chief Adviser's Office.

Armed Forces set up a control room at the Armed Forces Division, the Red Crescent Society and major NGOs are also keeping round the clock vigil on their respective operation.

Relief and rescue operation items including dry foods, medicine, tents, cooking and lighting materials were also collected.

The Government cancelled weekly holidays-today and tomorrow-of its officials in all the 15 coastal districts. All martime ports, including the Chittagong and Mongla seaports, and educational institutions in this area were closed until further order. Air communications in the country were suspended and international airliners were asked not to land in Bangladesh territory yesterday evening.

The storm first hit the Hiron Point and part of the mangrove forest Sundarbans in Bagerhat and Dublar Char island in Barguna at about 2:00 PM with a windspeed from 120 kph to 140 kph.

Our Chittagong Correspondent reported that about 200 tourists, including children and women, were stranded at coral island-St. Martin's, one of the popular tourist destinations of the country, due to suspension of maritime communications. They were, however, taken to cyclone shelters.

Barisal Correspondent said thousands of people were taken to 2,400 cyclone shelters.

Correspondent said the western zone power company has delinked 95 per cent electricity supply from Bheramara in Kushtia district in the west to coastal Bhola district in the south, apprehending accident during the cyclone hours.

Similar measures have been taken in other vulnerable areas, according to reports received in the capital last night.