One person was killed as widespread devastation was visible across coastal areas of West Bengal on Monday, a day after the severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ made landfall packing winds up to 135 kilometres per hour. Cyclone Remal moved ‘northwards’ after ravaging through the coastal areas.
Cyclone Remal, this year’s first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, also triggered the suspension of rail and air services in the state.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is expected to gradually weaken into a Cyclonic Storm today as it continues its north-northeastward trajectory.
Also Read: Cyclone Remal Live Updates
After making landfall on Sunday night, cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction in Bengal bringing rains that flooded homes and farmland, uprooting trees, flattening homes and knocking down electric poles.
A 51-year-old man died in Kolkata when concrete chunks fell on him during the peak of the storm, police said. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away while mud houses were flattened in the coastal areas of both countries as authorities waited to ascertain the full scale of losses, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, as the cyclone rummaged through Bengal, millions were left without power as electricity poles fell due to gusty winds.
The storm will gradually weaken into a cyclone during the morning on Monday and then move northeast and gradually weaken further, the IMD said in its latest weather update.
The landfall process began around 9 pm local time in India on Sunday and continued for about five hours, the regional meteorological office in Kolkata said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh moved around 8,00,000 people from the port areas of Mongla and Chittagong and nine coastal districts to storm shelters on Sunday morning. As many as 110,000 people were also taken to shelters in India, Reuters reported.
River embankments in the Sundarbans delta, the largest mangrove forest in the world, shared by India and Bangladesh, also suffered heavy damage with high tides breaching protective embankments at many places.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Sunday evening to review the response and preparedness for cyclone Remal. He was briefed that the National Crisis Management Committee was in regular contact with the Bengal state government.