At least two people have been killed after a powerful tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal devastated the coastlines of Bangladesh and neighboring India.
The cyclone, named Remal, had now crossed the coast and was gradually weakening, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said on Monday.
The cyclone, which lashed the coastline with winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, also left many coastal areas without power.
According to local media reports, many thatched houses were reportedly damaged, trees uprooted and electrical poles toppled.
Two deaths have been reported, Minister of State for Disaster Management and Relief Muhibur Rahman said late on Sunday.
One person was washed away by the storm surge in Patuakhali district, while the other died while taking cover during the storm in Satkhira district.
The tidal waves inundated many villages in the coastal areas as flood walls were damaged, he said.
The assessment of cyclone-related damage was underway on the ground, a disaster management department official said.
Previously, the government moved more than 800,000 coastal residents to cyclone shelters.
Bangladesh’s coastline is often hit by deadly tropical cyclones that originate in the Bay of Bengal.
More than 450,000 people have been killed in 12 major cyclones that have hit Bangladesh’s coastline since 1965, according to the 2016 Bangladeshi Disaster Management Preparedness Report.
