Cyclone Hamoon killed at least two people and sent nearly 275,000 people to safety in southeastern Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials said.
“We have evacuated 273,352 people to cyclone shelters,” Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management, told AFP. He added that two people were killed, one by a falling tree and the other when a building collapsed.
“At least ten people were injured and are being treated in hospitals,” he said.
Power lines were down and heavy rain hit coastal villages and islands, but no significant damage was reported, Hasan said.
Cyclone Hamoon made landfall in the coastal districts of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday morning, accompanied by wind speeds of 104 km/h, said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, an expert at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
“It is likely to move further inland and weaken gradually,” Mallik said.
Bangladesh, a predominantly low-lying country, is experiencing an increase in severe weather events due to climate change.
Additionally, the intensity of tropical storms is increasing, resulting in heavier rainfall and stronger winds that can lead to flash flooding, experts say.
The southeastern coast of Bangladesh is home to around a million Rohingya refugees who fled Burma to escape heavy repression and have been living in shelters made of thin tarpaulins ever since. But according to Mr. Hasan, the refugee camps were not in the cyclone’s main catchment area.
In May, Cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh and devastated neighboring Burma. According to the military junta ruling this country, at least 148 people were killed there.