Cyclone Mahasen Strikes Southern Bangladesh; Heavy Rain, Winds Force Evacuation Of One Million

Cyclone Mahasen hit the southern coast of Bangladesh on Thursday, bringing with it torrential rain and fierce winds, and forced the evacuation of more than one million people.

The storm first struck Khepupara on Bangladesh's southern coast and was tracking northeast toward the two ports on the eastern coastline near Myanmar.

Six people were reported killed in Bangladesh, Reuters reported.

The U.N. has warned that 8.2 million people could be at risk from Mahasen in Bangladesh, Burma and northeast India, the BBC reported.

The cyclone was centered at about 110 miles west-northwest of Maungdaw, in the Rakhine state of western Myanmar, and 110 miles southwest of Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh, according to a cyclone warning issued by Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology at noon local time on Thursday.

The cyclone was moving at a speed of 10-15 mph, as of Thursday noon, and it's center is likely to cross Bangladesh coasts near Chittagong within the next six hours, the advisory said.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department has issued a danger signal of 7 for the coastal districts of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar and a danger signal of 5 for maritime port of Mongla, on a scale with a maximum danger of 10.

The low-lying areas of the Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Borguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirozpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars (Bangladesh’s tiny islands) are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of 8-10 feet above normal astronomical tide, the advisory said. It said that some of these areas are likely to experience wind speed up to 90-100 kph (55-62 mph) with heavy rains during the passage of the storm.

Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division, the advisory said.

All fishing boats, trawlers and marine vessels over North Bay of Bengal have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice.

Airports in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong have been shut until the danger subsides.

The storm has killed at least seven people and displaced 3,881 in Sri Lanka as it tracked across the Bay of Bengal toward Bangladesh, Reuters reported.

A boat carrying more than 100 Rohingya Muslims, who were fleeing the cyclone that threatened to strike flood-prone Rakhine state, capsized off western Myanmar late on Monday. Official media said 42 people were rescued but 58 were missing.