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Muslim World News Updates |
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17 April 2009 Al-Jazeera -- Bangladesh is bracing
for a cyclone gaining strength in the Bay of Bengal on
the southern coast, weather officials have said.
Cyclone Bijli was still a storm but already packing
winds of up to 90 kilometre per hour about 460km from
Cox's Bazar on Friday morning.
The meteorological department said the storm was
expected to intensify and cross Chittagong-Barisal
coast later in the night, bringing heavy downpours,
dangerous surf and high winds.
Authorities initiated disaster management plans after
a level six storm alert was raised.
Bangladesh grades storms with signals ranging from 1
to 10, and authorities start major preparations when
the signal is raised to five or beyond.
"Bijli is gaining strength as it continues to move
towards the shorelines and may hit the coast by Friday
night or Saturday morning," a meteorology official
told Reuters.
Cyclone prone
Officials at Cox's Bazar said there were plans to
close flight operations at the Chittagong airport from
Friday evening, while cyclone shelters have been
prepared to accommodate up to a million people along
the coasts.
Low-lying areas in several coastal districts and on
offshore islands may be inundated by tidal surges up
to three metres above the normal tide.
Officials said security, rescue and medical workers
including Red Crescent volunteers were on alert for a
possible evacuation of millions of people from
low-lying areas.
"This may not be a big cyclone, but we are getting
prepared anyway," Mukhlesur Rahman, a senior official
at the food and disaster management ministry, said.
Cyclones and tropical storms are common in Bangladesh,
killing many people in the delta nation of 150 million
every year, and causing huge damage to crops and
property.
A devastating cyclone in April 1991 killed about
140,000 people, while Cyclone Sidr swept part of the
coast in November 2007 killing at least 3,500. |
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