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Economic loss understood to be huge; thousands still marooned

The death toll from Cyclone Aila rose to 121 yesterday, as thousands of people marooned in the coastal areas were battling to survive the aftermath with little food and drinking water. The storm that ripped through the southwestern coast Monday has left at least 32 people killed in Satkhira, 25 in Noakhali, 20 in Khulna, 13 in Bhola, nine in Barisal, seven in Patuakhali, six in Laxmipur, two each in Bagerhat, Chapainawabganj and Cox's Bazar, and one each in Magura, Natore and Lalmonirhat, said sources from the affected districts. The food and disaster management ministry however puts the death count at 91. According to reports from our correspondents, tidal waves churned by strong winds have inundated vast swathes of land. Heavy rains coupled with gales flattened huge tracts of standing crops and washed away numerous fisheries. They also caused extensive damage to embankments and levees in the coastal districts. The HSC and equivalent examinations scheduled for the next two days have been postponed in nine upazilas--Ashashuni and Shamnagar of Satkhira, Koira, Paikgacha, Botiaghata, Dumuria and Dakop of Khulna, and Mongla and Rampal of Bagerhat district. Jessore Board Controller Amirul Islam told The Daily Star that dates for these examinations would be declared later. Food Minister Abdur Razzak yesterday visited different cyclone-hit areas. He distributed relief among the locals at Panpatti village under Galachipa upazila in Patuakhali district. Our Barisal correspondent adds: In Barisal division, Bhola appears to have borne the worst of the cyclone. Road and water communications between seven upazilas in the district have been snapped for two days now. Local sources said Aila has destroyed thousands of hectares of crops including Aus, Aman and Boro rice, and vegetables. Manpura flood control embankment has been breached at many points. Strong current has carried away a 10-km stretch of the dam, and onrushing tide levelled hundreds of homes. People in the remote flood-affected areas were suffering from an acute shortage of drinking water. Our staff correspondent from Khulna reports: At 5:00pm yesterday, the death count in the cyclonic storm stood at 22, according to official sources. Of the dead, 20 were in Khulna district and the other two, women, in Bagerhat district. The storm and tidal surge have destroyed almost 80 percent of the forest camps in Chandpai and Sharankhola ranges, said Mihir Kumar, divisional forest officer in charge of the Sundarbans east wing. According to Khulna district control room, Aila has left around 30,000 houses in ruins. The number could be even higher once a damage full assessment is done. Unofficial sources said over three lakh people in Khulna and Bagerhat districts have remained marooned as of filing this report at 7:00pm. At least 90 percent of shrimp enclosures and flood control dams in Khulna and Bagerhat districts have been washed away. Cargo handling at Mongla Port, which was suspended on Sunday night, resumed yesterday morning. Our correspondent from Satkhira said at least 32 people including children were killed in Cyclone Aila. Shyamnagar and Assassuni upazilas were the worst affected. At least 90 percent of thatched houses and mud huts have been demolished by Aila-fed tidal surge, forcing thousands of people to take shelter in nearby buildings and cyclone centres. Those in cyclone shelters were passing hard times for scarcity of food, drinking water and medicines. The local administration was yet to launch any relief efforts. Meanwhile, fears were growing of an outbreak of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases. Our Patuakhali correspondent reports: The number of people affected in Cyclone Aila is over 11.50 lakh. 400 Km flood control embankment and 75 km roads of LGED have been damaged. The district had at least 30,000 hectares of crops including Aus damaged in the storm. Our Gopalganj correspondent said hundreds of mud houses and trees were uprooted during the cyclone on May 25. The affected areas had been without electricity for over 24 hours. Land phone connections and mobile network were yet to start functioning.