Cyclone Mora: Evacuation underway in Ctg, Cox’s Bazar

Bangladesh today ordered an intensified evacuation campaign in southeastern coastlines as the Met office predicted an advancing cyclone to hit the shoreline by early tomorrow, issuing the highest level of warning signal in a scale of 10.

Maritime ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar have been advised to hoist great danger signal number 10 while Mongla and Payra ports to hoist great danger signal number eight as the cyclone 'Mora' is heading towards Bangladesh.

Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, the entire Chittagong started to experience light rainfall and low-lying areas of the coastal upazila of districts are likely to be inundated by storm surge of four-five feet height above normal astronomical tide.

Coastal district administrations have already started evacuation of the people to cyclone shelter.

"Local administrations and voluntary agencies in 19 southeastern districts have been asking people to move to cyclone shelters using megaphones since midday," an official at the disaster management and relief ministry told BSS.

Our Chittagong Office reports: The district administration has started evacuation of the people of the most vulnerable six coastal upazilas of the district to safer places and nearby cyclone shelters since this evening after the Met office has issued "Great Danger Signal" no. 10 at Chittagong port .

There are 479 cyclone shelters in the district, which can accommodate nearly 4.45 lakh people. Apart from this, there are 458 government offices, schools which are opened to take shelter if needed,

Deputy Commissioner, Chittagong Zillur Rahman Chowdhury told BSS tonight.

The DC said nearly 30,000 people have already taken shelter in the centres and uncountable people also took refuge to their close relatives and police are exerting pressures on those who are reluctant to go to safer places.

Earlier, leaves of all officials , employees, doctors and nurses have been cancelled and kept standby to face any eventuality of the Mora , said Zillur, also chairman of the district's disaster management committee.

One hundred medical teams with 5000 health workers, adequate number of volunteers of the Red Crescent society have been kept ready and district administration is monitoring round the clock in this regard.

Cox's Bazar correspondent reports: 538 cyclone centers of the district and 534 other educational institutions and government and non government high-rise buildings have been kept prepared to use as shelter centers.

Earlier in the morning, district administration held a meeting on cyclone preparedness with deputy commissioner Md Ali Hossain in the chair.