Over 8 lakh people have been evacuated: State minister for disaster

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibbur Rahman has said that more than eight lakh people of the coastal areas have been evacuated to safe shelters to deal with Cyclone Remal.

“The cyclone may start crossing the coast of Bangladesh by evening. I urge everyone for the last time to immediately go to safe shelter from the areas where the possibility of being affected has already been declared,” he said while addressing a press conference after an inter-ministerial meeting on dealing with cyclones at the Secretariat on Sunday (May 26).

According to the Meteorological Department, 16 coastal districts are at risk of being affected severely by Cyclone Remal.

The districts are Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalkathi, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Chandpur.

The state minister said, "We have already prepared 8,000 to 9,000 shelter homes. Sufficient dry food, biscuits, water and medical supplies have reached all the shelters.”

"The great danger signal no 10 has already been issued. By evening, the first part of the storm will start crossing Bangladesh. The centre of the storm will cross Bangladesh by midnight,” he said.

Mohibur said, “The maximum speed of the storm while crossing the coast may be 110 to 130 kilometre per hour. Coastal areas may experience 10 to 12 feet tidal surges during the landfall of the cyclone. It will be more if there is a tide.”

He said that the entire area from Satkhira to Cox's Bazar may be more or less damaged due to the storm.

The state minister also said, "It has been instructed to form teams so that officials from other areas can go to the affected areas and work after the landfall of the cyclone.”