Death toll from Cyclone Sitrang rises to 35 in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The death toll from Cyclone Sitrang that swept Bangladesh on Tuesday has risen to 35, causing huge damage across the country and forcing around 10 million people to shift to safer areas, officials said.

The cyclone hit 16 districts of the country, with the port city of Chittagong's Mirsrai town recording the highest number of deaths.

A sand mining dredger sank due to the cyclone in the Sandwip channel in the port city of Chittagong's Mirsharai coast on Monday night, killing eight laborers, a local official told Anadolu Agency.

The bodies of four laborers have been recovered, while a search for four missing bodies is still ongoing, Mofizul Islam, a police officer at the Mirsharai police station, told Anadolu Agency.

“The rescue operation faces difficulties due to strong tides,” the officer added.

The other 27 deaths, mostly due to drowning and tree falling, were reported in the districts of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Narail, Sirajganj, Bhola, Barguna, Munshiganj, Noakhali, and Gopalganj.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, nearly 10 million people from 19 coastal districts were shifted to safer locations and cyclone shelters.

- 83 villages affected in India

In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, over 1,100 people in 83 villages were affected by the deluge caused by Sitrang in Bay of Bengal, disaster management officials said.

A statement by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said the storm also damaged crops over large areas.

Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday said that it rescued 20 Bangladeshi fishermen from the sea post-landfall of Cyclone Sitrang.

These fishermen will be handed over to Bangladesh in accordance with the existing agreement between the two countries, it said in a statement.

*Ahmad Adil in New Delhi, India contributed to this story