1. Cyclone Remal claims 16 lives in Bangladesh and India after the Bay of Bengal landfall.
2. Coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal report numerous injuries.
3. Power infrastructure sustains significant damage due to Cyclone Remal’s impact.
Kolkata, May 28: Cyclone Remal, the first major cyclonic storm of the year, has claimed the lives of 16 individuals across Bangladesh and India following its landfall near the Bay of Bengal coast, as per Reuters reports on Monday evening.
Numerous injuries were reported in coastal regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal, accompanied by significant damage to power infrastructure.
With wind speeds reaching up to 135 kph, the storm crossed Bangladesh’s southern port of Mongla and the adjacent Sagar Islands in West Bengal late Sunday, making landfall around 9 pm, according to weather officials.
Bangladesh witnessed at least 10 fatalities, while the remaining casualties occurred in West Bengal, Reuters noted.
Authorities cited various causes for the deaths, including victims succumbing en route to relief shelters, drowning incidents, and fatalities resulting from collapsing homes amid heavy flooding and storms.
In West Bengal, four individuals were electrocuted, bringing the state’s death toll to six. The cyclone also wreaked havoc on power infrastructure, resulting in widespread electricity outages in coastal areas.
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Cyclone Remal left nearly three million people without power in Bangladesh and thousands affected in West Bengal.
Bengal authorities reported the uprooting of at least 1,200 power poles and the destruction of 300 mud huts.
To prevent accidents, Bangladesh preemptively shut down electricity supply to certain areas, yet fallen trees and damaged power lines further hindered supply restoration efforts in numerous coastal towns, as stated by power ministry officials.
Heavy rains on May 27 caused flooding in Kolkata streets, along with multiple wall collapses and the felling of at least 52 trees.
Flight operations in Kolkata resumed after over 50 cancellations on Sunday, with suburban train services also returning to operation.
In response to the cyclone’s impact, both India and Bangladesh relocated over a million people to relief shelters amid heavy rains and rising water levels in coastal regions, significantly disrupting daily life.
Kolkata resumed flight operations after over 50 cancellations on Sunday, with suburban train services also resuming.
