Death toll from cyclone Amphan rises to 24 in India and Bangladesh after the powerful storm ripped through densely populated coastal lines of two neighbouring countries
“We have never seen or heard anything like it. Windows rattled, the house shook, outside trees caught fire while, others collapsed. We thought we would die,” Javed Khan, a taxi driver in Kolkata, told The Associated Press via WhatsApp.
Cyclone Amphan, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, was packing sustained winds of up to 170 kilometres per hour with maximum gusts of 190 kph when it crashed ashore. Although it lost power as it moved towards Bangladesh, the densely populated regions of South Bengal bore the brunt of the onslaught with storm surges pushing seawater 25 kilometres inland and flooding cities including Kolkata. The roof of a school building in Howrah, a suburb of Kolkata, flew off in the wind. Numerous coconut trees were struck by lightning and rising rivers overflew their banks.The cyclone will disrupt local wind circulation and also trigger heat waves in parts of the country, said India’s meteorological chief, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday night the damage was difficult to assess immediately. She said that entire islands had been cut off from the mainland, including the communities living along the Sunderbans, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. The forests dissipate the energy of the storm and absorb some of the impact, said K.J Ramesh, India's former meteorological chief.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mass Evacuations Underway As India And Bangladesh Brace For Dangerous Super CycloneSuper Cyclone Amphan, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal, is expected to make landfall near the border between India and Bangladesh on Wednesday
Read more »
Millions flee as powerful cyclone bears down on India, BangladeshA potentially catastrophic cyclone is bearing down on India and Bangladesh, threatening to batter portions of the vulnerable countries with howling winds, drenching rain and devastating storm surge.
Read more »
Cyclone dumps rain on India, Bangladesh, 2M head to sheltersNEW DELHI (AP) — A powerful cyclone began dumping rain on coastal India and Bangladesh early Wednesday as more than 2 million people were being moved to shelters before the storm hits land in the...
Read more »
Powerful cyclone hits India and Bangladesh as 2 million people head to sheltersA powerful cyclone is dumping rain on coastal India and Bangladesh as more than 2 million people are being moved to shelters.
Read more »