650,000 flee as cyclone smashes Bangladeshi coast

A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh’s coast with 140mph winds killed at least 41 people, destroyed homes and forced 650,000 villagers to be evacuated, before heading inland and losing power today.

Tropical Cyclone Sidr roared across the country’s south-western coast yesterday with driving rain and high waves, killing about 41 villagers, local officials and the Meteorological Department said.

By today, the cyclone had weakened into a tropical storm and was moving across the country to the north east, with overcast skies and wind speed falling to 37mph, the department said.

Storm surges nearly 4ft high inundated low-lying areas and some offshore islands in the 15 coastal districts in the cyclone’s path. Communications with remote forest areas and offshore islands were temporarily lost.

Torrential rain flooded some streets in the capital, Dhaka, while strong winds sent billboards flying through the air.

In the coastal districts of Barguna, Bagerhat, Barisal and Bhola, residents said the storm flattened thousands of flimsy straw and mud huts, flooded low-lying areas, destroyed crops and fish farms, uprooted trees, electric and telephone poles. Road, rail and river transport were also hit, they said.