The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Patuakhali

At least 61 people were killed and an unspecified number of people injured in the fierce storms in the coastal district on Thursday midnight.

Acting police super of the district Abu Saleh M Raihan confirmed the death figure. "The death toll may rise further rapidly," he said.

Besides, thousands of houses were damaged and tress and electric poles blew down under the lashes of the severe cyclonic storm.

Eight people, including four of a family, were killed and many more injured in severe cyclonic storms in the district Thursday midnight.

District administration officials said four members of a family died in Rupsa upazila and one each in Batiaghata, Koira, Dumuria and Dacop upazilas when trees collapsed on their houses during the storms at night.

The four family members were identified as Hirok Malakar, 35, Golak Sarker, 30, Golak's wife Kamini Sarker, 25, and Kumod Sarker, 85.

Three of the four other deceased were identified as Maulana Azizur Rahman, 60, of Bedkashi village in Koira upazila, Habu Bala, 45, of Suvana village in Dumuria upazila, and Hasina Begum, 15, of Batiaghata upazila headquarter. The name of a 35-year old man could not be known immediately.

Telecommunications in Paikgachha, Koira and Dacop upazilas of the district remained snapped as the storm caused a large-scale havoc in the coastal district.

Thousands of houses were razed to the ground, trees uprooted and standing crops on vast tracts of land damaged due to the storms.

Reports reaching UNB newsroom said 21 people died in Barisal while 33 in Patuakhali, 17 in Bagerhat, 13 each in Shariatpur and Madaripur, 11 in Khulna and six in Bhola district. The casualties mostly occurred in tree or house collapse as the hurricane pounded heavily with all its fury on the night and early hours of Friday.

Low-lying areas of many coastal districts, even in towns, were inundated as storm surge whipped by raging winds washed the areas.

Thousands of people were injured in the south and southwestern region and most of the dwelling houses were either fully or partially damaged in the devastation caused by the cyclonic storm, one of the worst in the country.

In Bagerhat, the fate of the people in backwater Dublarchar, including thousands of fishermen, could not be unknown as local administration failed to contact them. A team of the coastguard from Mongla set out for the offshore island in the morning.

Sundarban DFO SM Shohidulla told UNB that a colossal damage was done to the Sundaban mangrove forests at the "first hit" by the hurricane core of the powerful cyclone. "Our offices were damaged, boats capsized or washed away," he said.

Rescue and relief operations by district and police administrations, coastguard, army and Red Crescent started.

Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam and police super AKM Shahidur Rahman told UNB correspondent Bishnu Chakravorty that the total casualty in the district could not be known immediately.

Hurricane SIDR that lashed the coastal districts on Thursday night left over 100 people dead and some 300 missing in Bagerhat as the district in the vicinity of Sundarbans fell under the eye of the sea storm.

Besides, hundreds of people were wounded and thousands of houses flattened in the district.

Police confirmed UNB that over 100 people were killed, about 300 went missing, of them 200 in Swarankhola upazila alone, during the severe cyclone at night.

Among the deceased identified so far are Hazera Begum, 17, Shukran, 12, and Jonaki, 8, of a family of Shibpur village and Moni Sheikh, 28, of Patdumuria, Mukunda Majumdar, 65, of Faridpur village, one unidentified woman of Charchingori village and another unidentified young man of Tranpur village in Chitalmari upazila.

The other deceased are Dilu Khan of Debargachhi village and Sufiya Begum, 60, of PC College area in Sadar upazila and Ruhul Kazi, 22, of Kachua upazila and Mamun, 10, Sathi, 6, Motaleb, 70, Manna, 2, Jabbar, 60 and Saleha, 18, of Morelganj upazila and one unidentified woman of Mithakhali village in Mongla upazila.

Sources said they were killed as trees and houses crashed on them under the lashes of the severe tropical storm.

Witnesses said thousands of houses were damaged, trees uprooted and electricity snapped in the district.

Road communications with all upazilas, including Swarankhola, Mongla and Morelganj, remained disrupted.

What happened to the people in backwater Dublarchar, including thousands of fishermen, could not be unknown as local administration failed to contact them. A team of the coastguard from Mongla set out for the offshore island in the morning.

One trawler, some passenger-and fishing-boats sank in the Mongla port channel, officials said.

Sundarban DFO SM Shohidulla told UNB that a colossal damage was done to the Sundaban mangrove forests at the "first hit" by the hurricane core of the powerful cyclone. "Our offices were damaged, boats capsized or washed away," he said.

Rescue and relief operations by district and police administrations, coastguard, army and Red Crescent got off to an urgent start.

Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam and police super AKM Shahidur Rahman told UNB correspondent Bishnu Prasad Chakravorty that the total casualty in the district could not be known yet.