DHAKA: A potentially severe cyclone struck the shores of Bangladesh and Myanmar as over 500,000 people were relocated to safer places in southeast Bangladesh.
Mocha cyclone is expected to make midday landfall with 170 kph (106 mph) gusts and storm surges of up to 3.6 m (12 ft).
Almost a million people reside in Cox’s Bazar, the biggest refugee camp in the world, which the storm could hit. The cyclone is also likely to cause flooding and landslides.
The impoverished camp for Rohingya refugees is already experiencing rain, and red flags have been hoisted ahead of the cyclone.
The storm known as Cyclone Mocha may be the most potent to hit Bangladesh in almost two decades.
As the weather system approaches the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast, nearby airports have been shut down, fishermen have been told to cease working, and 1,500 shelters have been set up for locals in vulnerable areas.
Additional Deputy Commissioner at Cox’s Bazar Vibhushan Kanti Das told the BBC they were ready to face any hazards and did not want to lose a single life.
Families have been showing up at the designated cyclone shelters all day. At a school in Cox’s Bazar, hundreds have been cramming into the classrooms.
Some people brought some of their belongings in plastic bags. Others showed up with their animals, including cattle and hens.
The 17-year-old Jannat occupied a desk in the classroom with her two-month-old child. She didn’t bring anything besides a bag with a few pieces of clothing. While she was alone, her husband was still at their seaside house making sure everything was locked up securely.
She said that after having her home devastated by Cyclone Sitrang the previous year, she was worried about this storm.
Jannat told the BBC, “I am concerned about what may happen next. “I’m worried that my house will flood once more.”
Living in frail bamboo shelters with tarpaulin coverings, almost a million Rohingya refugees who left neighbouring Myanmar are still in danger. The UN says it was doing everything to protect these areas can.
Many refugees in Bangladesh said they are afraid and unclear of what will happen if the storm hits their shelters because the government bars them from leaving their camps.
The storm is expected to deliver torrential rain, which can cause landslides and pose a major risk to those living in hillside communities where landslips are common.
Shamsul Douza, a Bangladeshi government official in charge of the camps and refugees, told the BBC that they were collaborating with NGOs to make sure the camps were as ready as possible for the storm.
But he said removing migrants from the camps was a difficult process.
