Two dead in Cyclone Remal off the coast of Bangladesh

At least two people have died after a powerful tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal devastated the coast of Bangladesh and neighboring India.

The cyclone, named Remal, has now crossed the coast and is slowly weakening, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said on Monday.

The cyclone, which hit the coast with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, also caused a power outage in many coastal areas.

According to local media reports, numerous thatched houses were damaged, trees were uprooted and electricity poles were toppled.

Two deaths were reported, Minister of State for Disaster Management and Relief Muhibur Rahman said late Sunday.

One person was washed away by the storm surge in Patuakhali district, while the other died while seeking shelter during the storm in Satkhira district.

Many villages in the coastal areas were inundated by the flood and flood protection walls were damaged, he said.

A disaster management official said the estimation of the damage caused by the cyclone is currently being carried out on the ground.

The government had previously moved more than 800,000 coastal residents to cyclone shelters.

The coast of Bangladesh is frequently hit by deadly tropical cyclones that form in the Bay of Bengal.

According to Bangladesh’s 2016 disaster risk reduction report, more than 450,000 people have died in 12 severe cyclones that have struck the coast of Bangladesh since 1965.