The cyclonic storm Mahasen has moved northeastwards and was crossing the Noakhali-Chittagong coast near Sitakunda Thursday afternoon.
It is likely to move in the northeasterly direction and may take three to five hours to complete crossing the coast, the Met office said in a special bulletin. The cyclone has weakened due to heavy rainfall.
At least five people were killed in Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola districts as the storm was proceeding along the coast.
Three persons reportedly died when they were going to cyclone shelters in Barguna district today.
There were identified as Syed Ali, 75, of East Rani Nagar and Abir, 6, of Bakultali in Betagi upazila and Chan Mia, 70, of Amtoli upazila. Siraj Akand, 60, of Aliapur in Patuakhali died when he was going to a cyclone shelter in the morning.
An elderly person was killed as a tree fell upon him when the storm hit Lalmohan Upazila in Bhola district in the morning. The deceased was identified as Abul Kashem, 65, of Dhaligour area of the Upazila.
Local administration confirmed the matters.
Many villages were inundated as water levels rose up three to five feet higher than the normal in coastal rivers and remote islands and chars in Patuakhali, Borguna, Bhola and Cox’s Bazar districts.
Hundreds of huts were damaged, trees uprooted and electricity lines snapped and communications were severely disrupted. Sea remains very rough.
Coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal and their offshore islands and chars (shoals) will come under danger signal number seven, on a scale of one to 11, while Pirojpur, Jhalkati, Bagherhat, Khulna and Satkhira coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars will come under the danger signal five.
The bulleting also says storm surge of eight-10 feet height above normal tide may inundate the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalkati, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars.
It also says Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Borguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, and their offshore islands and chars are likely to experience wind speed up to 90-100kph in gusts or squalls with heavy to very falls during the passage of the storm.
The BMD also warned of landslides at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division due to very heavy rainfall. All fishing boats, trawlers and marine vessels over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.