Cyclone Hamoon kills three; houses, trees damaged

Staff Reporter  :
The Cyclone Hamoon has left a trail of devastation flattening thousands of houses and trees in Cox’s Bazar district on Tuesday while it swept over the district and adjacent areas, leaving three people killed and 20 others injured.

District administration said that at least three people died in the cyclone while another 20 sustained injuries due to felling of trees and walls.

The deceased are Abdul Khaleque, 42, from Cox’s Bazar Pahartali area, Haradhan Dey, 45, from Maheshkhali, and Ashkar Ali, 45, from Chakaria upazila.

Abdul Khaleque died after being trapped under a collapsed wall, while the remaining two died when trees fell on them due to the heavy cyclonic winds.

The Cox’s Bazar district administration said that the cyclonic storm ripped through Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, Chakaria and Pekua Upazilas, snapping electricity and internet connections.

According to the municipality office, at least 30,000 houses were damages by the cyclone, while more than 100,000 trees were uprooted due to its severe winds.

According to Councilor of Ward No 1 of the municipality Aktar Kamal, at least 1,500 houses were damaged in the cyclone while more than 50 residences submerged in high tide of the sea.

He also said that more than 60,000 labourers of the word engaged in dried fish production were badly affected by the storm.

Amid the devastation, people suffered extensively as they were disconnected with the rest of the country and their areas were plunged into darkness throughout the night since 8pm on Tuesday.

The locals said that they had not experienced such destruction by any cyclone in the last two decades.

Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar district Muhammad Shaheen Imran told the media that the entire district suffered severely due to the disconnection of electricity and internet.