Cyclone Remal, the first major cyclonic storm of the year, has killed 16 people across Bangladesh and India after it made landfall near the coast of the Bay of Bengal, reports said. Dozens were injured due to the downpour in coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, and intense damage was reported in power lines.
Weather officials said the storm, packing speeds of up to 135 kph, crossed the area around Bangladesh's southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in West Bengal late Sunday, making landfall around 9 pm.
At least 10 people were killed in Bangladesh, while the rest of the casualties were reported from West Bengal. Authorities said that some victims died on their way to relief shelters, and others died due to drowning or their homes collapsing due to heavy waterlogging and storms.
In West Bengal, four people were electrocuted, authorities said, taking the death toll in the state to six. The storms also hit power lines, with electricity cut off for several coastal areas.
Nearly three million people in Bangladesh and thousands in West Bengal were left without electricity due to Cyclone Remal. Bengal authorities said that at least 1,200 power poles were uprooted, while 300 mud huts had been razed.
Bangladesh shut down the electricity supply to some areas in advance to avoid accidents, while fallen trees and snapped electricity lines further disrupted supply in many coastal towns, power ministry officials said.
Both India and Bangladesh ended up moving at least 10,00,000 people to relief shelters amid heavy rains and rising water levels in coastal areas leading to disruptions to daily life. Kolkata resumed flights after more than 50 were cancelled from Sunday. Suburban train services were also restored.
