KHULNA, May 27, 2024 (BSS) - The severe cyclonic storm 'Ramel' affected four lack people, damaging 50,000 homesteads, uprooting trees, breaking electric and telephone poles, causing a wind-driven surge inundating a vest area of Sundarbans and embankments in low-lying regions, an official said.

"At least four lakh people of 68 unions in nine upazilas of Khulna have been affected by 'Remal'," said District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md. Abdul Karim.

"Hundreds of shrimp enclosures have been washed way, a huge number of thatched houses and standing crops were damaged while trees, electricity and telephone poles were uprooted. Many villages were also submerged by the tidal surge," he added.

Khulna District Administration, Mongla Port Authority, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) of Mongla West Zone, Fire Service and Civil Defence are working to rehabilitate the affected coastal people.

As part of the immediate response, more than 2 lakh people were successfully evacuated and moved to 604 cyclone centres before the 'Remal' hit the region, said Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Khondokar Yasir Arefin.

Over 5,500 volunteers of different organisations, including Red Crescent and CPP, are working in different regions, he said.

He added that 1,100 more volunteers from non-government organizations (NGOs) are also in action as 168 medical teams with health workers are working at cyclone affected upazilas.

Abdul Karim said the "fear of major disaster” due to severe cyclonic storm is mostly over as the district administration took appropriate precautionary measures to cope the disaster.

He, however, said in some places, fallen trees have halted traffic.

No casualty is reported due to the storm as a few people is injured in coastal areas.

Abdul Karim said about 2.5-lakh metric tonnes of rice, Taka 5-lakh in cash and 2,000 packets of dry food have, so far, been distributed in Koyra, Dakop and Paikgachha upazilas.

The operation of Mongla port has already resumed, said Md Makruzzaman, Secretary of Mongla Port Authority (MPA).

"No damage take place as the port authority has taken massive preparation earlier," he added.

Talking to BSS, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, DFO of Sundarban West, said the intensity of damage in Sundarban could not be known immediately.

Around 61 kilometers embankments in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat have been damaged partially, Water Development Board (WDB) officials said.

Hundreds of villages in Koyra, Paikgachha and Dakop upazilas of Khulna were inundated due to heavy rain and saline water that entered by breaking embankment in different points, sub-divisional engineer Liakat Ali of WDB confirmed.

UNO of Koyra Tarik Uzzaman and UP Chairman Abdullah Al Mamun of Bedkashi of Koyra said villagers are voluntarily trying to repair embankments to stop intruding saline water.

Electricity supply was hampered in different coastal villages till filing of this report, sources said.