Over 4 lakh people evacuated as Bangladesh braces for cyclone Fani

Over 400,000 people, who reside along the coast have been evacuated as cyclone Fani made landfall along India's eastern, killing at least three people, on Friday afternoon, Bangladesh's Disaster Management and Relief said.

Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, Enamur Rahman, as saying that nearly 404,225 people from the coastal regions have been evacuated and taken to cyclone shelters before Fani hits the low-lying country.

"We started evacuating people at 10 am on Friday," the state minister told reporters during a conference held at the Food Ministry in Dhaka on Friday.

"Until 12 pm, 404,225 have been taken to cyclone shelters. We are hopeful we will be able to take everyone into cyclone shelters by 5 pm," he added.

Around 4,071 centres in 19 districts across Bangladesh have been prepared to take in 2,200,000-2,500,000 people by 5 pm, Enamur said.

To counter cyclone Fani, around 56,000 members of Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP), including the navy, police, coast guard, Fire Service, Red Crescent, Scouts, local representatives, and the district administration have been assigned, the state minister noted.

He said, "We have taken preparations in such a manner that not one life will be lost to the cyclone," adding, "However if the wind speeds cross 200km/hr, we will not able to save the 11,000 hectares of croplands in Khulna region."

Disabled people, pregnant women, and children will be given preference while moving the people to cyclone shelters, Enamur told Dhaka Tribune.

"There are different rooms for disabled people. We have also allocated an extra (Bangladeshi Taka) Tk1,000,000's-worth of rations to the deputy commissioners, and 200 tonnes of GR rice. Meanwhile, 45,000 packets of dry food have been also been kept at the shelters," the state minister added.

He said that the shelters will be powered using solar energy, while further stating, "Where there are no solar panels, pressurized paraffin lights will be used."

Meanwhile, Secretary of the prime minister's office, Nazibur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune, "The prime minister's office is constantly monitoring the situation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in London, has instructed us to take all measures to fight Fani, regardless of whether it weakens, or not."

Fani is likely to cross the Odisha coast of India by the afternoon, move north-northeastwards over the Odisha-West Bengal coastal area, and reach Khulna and adjoining south-western parts of Bangladesh by midnight.

The cyclone lashed Odisha, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching the speed of 200 kmph, leaving behind a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles in the region.

In addition, aid agencies are also concerned for the Rohingya refugees who fled ethnic violence in Myanmar and are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh near the coast, CNN reported.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) tweeted on Wednesday that it had prepared 135 emergency response containers with sleeping mats, blankets, rope, and other resources. Key among the items are emergency tents which can be "rapidly deployed" if families' makeshift shelters collapse during the storm.