Low-lying areas in coastal districts flooded; 1 dead under fallen tree in Bhola

A man died under a fallen tree in Bhola district under Barishal division today during the storm triggered by Cyclone Yaas, which formed in the Bay of Bengal and made a landfall in eastern Indian state Odisha.

Abu Taher (55), a rickshaw-puller, was killed when a tree fell on him in Char Sakina under Lalmohan upazila of Bhola district last night, Abdur Rashid, deputy director of the district's Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP), confirmed.

Out of 40 chars in Bhola, at least 30 have been flooded and some areas went under five to six feet water, he said.

At least 5,000 people have been evacuated from the remote upazila Monpura and brought to the shelter, said Monpura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Shamim Mia.

The UNO said the road along Hazirhat-North and South Sakuchia, adjacent to Monpura embankment, has been damaged.

Abdus Salam, chairman of Dhalchar union in Charfashion upazila, said the union went under six to seven feet of tidal water.

Over 5,000 people live in the union. Of them, 1,500 were shifted to three shelter centres, the chairman said.

Char Kukrimukri, one of the remote areas of Bhola, was also inundated, union member Farhad Khan said.

While talking to The Daily Star around 1:00am, he said despite 22,000 people living in the area, there is no shelter centre. People are taking shelter at the local schools.

Prashanta Kumar Roy, relief and rehabilitation officer who is in-charge of the Barishal control room, said cracks have been developed on a 300-metre embankment at the old Hijla point of Barishal.

Different points on Kazir Char road of Muladi upazila have been completely destroyed while different points of embankment of Nalua union in Bakerganj were also damaged but locals repaired it.

According to Barishal control room, all areas in Palashpur, Chakarua, Sagardi, Gernadi, Muladi, Hizla and Mehendiganj were flooded.

Executive Engineer of Water Development Board, Barishal said that water level went 10 to 137 cm above the danger level yesterday during the tide.

But water in all rivers except Bishkhali has reduced today, he said.

Besides, low-lying areas in Barguna, Patuakhali, Pabna, Sirajganj, Khulna, Satkhira and Pirojpur were also flooded.

Our Pabna correspondent reports, water level is increasing in Jamuna, which may flood low-lying areas of Pabna and Sirajganj.

However, Water Development Board claimed that there is nothing to be worried about.