Four deaths were reported from Patuakhali, Pirojpur and Bhola districts after cyclone 'Amphan' battered the coastal region with a wind speed of 160-180 kph at its centre on Wednesday evening, reports UNB.

Cyclone Amphan

In Patuakhali, a certain Shah Alam Mir, worker of Cyclone Preparation Programme, drowned while conducting an awareness campaign on Nanda canal in Kalapara Upazila.

Later, the body of the victim was recovered from the canal in the afternoon, said Upazila nirbahi officer Abu Hasnat Md Shahidul Haque.

In Galachipa Upazila, a child along with his family was rushing towards a nearby shelter amid strong wind when a tree branch fell on Rashed's head, killing him on the spot at Panpotti.

Officer-in-charge of Galachipa police station Mostafizur Rahman confirmed the matter.

In Pirojpur, 55-year-old Mozibur Rahman died after the wall of his house caved in on him at Mathbaria amid the storm in the evening, said additional superintendent of police Molla Azad Hossain.

In Bhola, a trawler with 13 people on board capsized in Meghna river at Lakshmipur Maju pontoon due to strong current amid the cyclonic storm, killing one Rafikul Islam.

Superintendent of police Sarkar Mamtar said Rafikul was a resident of Borhanuddin upazila.

The maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist great danger signal no. 10 while Chattogram and Cox's Bazar were told to hoist great danger signal no. 9.

Warning for coastal districts Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakati, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur and their offshore islands and chars will come under great danger signal no. 10.

In a special bulletin, the met office said the cyclone was located in the Sundarbans region around 6:00am and was expected to cross the coast within the next three to four hours.

The maximum sustained wind speed within 74 kms of the cyclone centre is about 160 kph rising to 180 kph in gusts/squalls.

Meanwhile, the Met Office said low-lying areas of the coastal districts of the coastal areas could be inundated by storm surge of 10-15 feet height above the normal astronomical tide.

The vulnerable areas are – Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakati, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and their offshore islands and chars.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh had moved hundreds of thousands of people as the super cyclone approached to minimise loss of lives.

But the outbreak of highly contagious coronavirus made evacuation and keeping people at the shelters more complex.

The government has evacuated about 2.4 million people and 543,000 livestock to 14,636 shelter centres until Wednesday afternoon.

“Until Wednesday afternoon, 2,390,307 people and 517,432 livestock in 19 coastal districts were evacuated,” said state minister for disaster management and relief Md Enamur Rahman.