Officials and news reports said Tuesday that a tropical storm that hit Bangladesh killed at least 13 people across the delta nation.
Tropical Storm Strang formed in the Bay of Bengal before moving north toward Bangladesh’s vast coastline on Monday, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to cyclone shelters. Throughout the day, heavy rains lashed the country, flooding many coastal areas in southern and southwestern Bangladesh.
The storm weakened Tuesday afternoon, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 65 kilometres per hour and wind gusts of up to 85 kilometres per hour (53 mph). The weather office in Dhaka, which had recorded gusts of up to 88 kph (55 mph) Monday evening, said the threat had passed Tuesday.
A couple and their 4-year-old daughter died after a tree fell on their home late Monday night, according to Raihan Mahbub, a government official in Cumilla district. According to the official, they were sleeping and died at the scene.
At least ten other people were killed in separate incidents across the country, according to Dhaka-based Somoy TV. According to local media, the majority of those killed were killed by falling trees, while others died from collapsing structures or drowning.
The government halted all river vessel operations across the country on Monday, closed three airports, and asked fishing boats to return from the deep sea and remain anchored in the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh is a delta nation with a population of more than 160 million people that is vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and cyclones.
