Death toll in killer Bangladesh cyclone climbs to 46

The death toll in the cyclonic storm 'Mahasen' that battered Bangladesh's southwestern coastlines climbed to 46 today as bodies of nine children were pulled out from the Bay of Bengal.
The cyclonic storm 'Mahasen' battered the country's southwestern coastlines yesterday, damaging thousands of thatched houses and forcing evacuation of over one million people from low-lying areas.
A total of 46 people, including 15 children, were killed by Cyclone Mahasen or while trying to flee its impact.
Fifteen people were killed by Mahasen when it struck. After the cyclone hit the region, a trawler carrying some passengers sank in the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday night, killing 31 people.

Coast guard personnel recovered the bodies of nine children from Teknaf shore today, raising the death toll from the boat capsize to 31, the Daily Star reported.
Earlier on Thursday, 22 bodies were recovered from Teknaf shore.

The bodies were retrieved in Dargah Chhara and Habir Chhara areas, Didar Ferdous, inspector of Teknaf Police Station, said. He said the children were between 10 and 12 years.
"All the deaths were reported from the southwestern coastlines where the cyclone hit with its maximum strength before being weakened gradually," a disaster management ministry spokesman told PTI.
Officials from coastal areas earlier reported the deaths mostly from offshore islands of southwestern Barisal region with the highest toll recorded in Barguna district, the worst affected area where the storm levelled hundreds of thatched houses and standing crops and uprooted trees.

They said the deaths were caused by drowning or the victims were hit by falling trees.
The cyclone first struck the southern Patuakhali coast with wind speed up to 90 kilometres per hour, but it gradually weakened into a tropical storm and then dissipated, causing far less damage than had been feared.
"The cyclone gradually lost its strength as it headed towards India's Tripura state crossing (Bangladesh's) Bandarban (hill district) this afternoon," meteorology department's deputy director Shamsuddin Ahmed said yeaterday.