Relief after cyclone weakens

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/05/2013 (4791 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh — Cyclone Mahasan weakened Thursday afternoon into a tropical storm, causing far less damage than had been feared as it passed over coastal Bangladesh and spared Myanmar almost entirely.

At least 18 deaths related to Mahasen were reported in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, but officials had prepared for a far greater storm. Bangladesh evacuated one million people from coastal areas and the United Nations warned 8.2 million people could face life-threatening conditions.

The cyclone lost power as it shed huge amounts of rainfall then veered west of its predicted path, sparing major Bangladeshi population areas, including Chittagong and the seaside resort of Cox’s Bazar, said Mohammad Shah Alam, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

“Thank God we have been spared this time,” local government administrator Ruhul Amin said.

The storm’s impact in Myanmar, where officials were having trouble evacuating tens of thousands of displaced Rohingya people, was minimal.

“We are out of danger and the impact of the cyclone is almost over. There can be heavy rains in some areas because of the cyclone, but the danger is over,” said Tun Lwin, the retired director general of Myanmar’s meteorology department.

In Cox’s Bazar, tens of thousands of people had fled shanty homes along the coast and packed into cyclone shelters, hotels, schools and government office buildings. But by Thursday afternoon, the sun was shining and Amin said he planned to close the shelters by the evening.

The storm’s slow movement towards Bangladesh gave the government plenty of warning to get people to safety, Amin said.

“But for the evacuation, the casualties would have been higher,” he said.

In addition, river ferries and boat services were suspended, and scores of factories near the choppy Bay of Bengal were closed.

— The Associated Press