Cyclone Mahasen weakens, leaves ten dead

May 16, 2013 01:32 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 08:26 pm IST - Dhaka

Bangladeshis stand by the Bay of Bengal coast before the tropical cyclone Mahasen made landfall in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Thursday, May 16, 2013. Cyclone Mahasan weakened Thursday afternoon into a tropical storm with at least 18 deaths reported in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, but officials had prepared for a far greater storm. Bangladesh evacuated 1 million people from coastal areas and the United Nations warned that 8.2 million people could face life-threatening conditions.  (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Bangladeshis stand by the Bay of Bengal coast before the tropical cyclone Mahasen made landfall in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Thursday, May 16, 2013. Cyclone Mahasan weakened Thursday afternoon into a tropical storm with at least 18 deaths reported in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, but officials had prepared for a far greater storm. Bangladesh evacuated 1 million people from coastal areas and the United Nations warned that 8.2 million people could face life-threatening conditions. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Amid a great relief, cyclone Mahasen weakened while travelling through Bangladesh coastline, reportedly killing 10 people and damaging hundreds of houses as it moved through Meghna estuary on Thursday afternoon.

The danger over, the authorities have decided to resume operations at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong; Cox’s bazar airport; and Chittagong Maritime Port, a day after their closure . The flight operation will resume on Friday .

The cyclone, which caused heavy downpour in the costal districts, broke and uprooted scores of trees. Low lying areas of the coastal districts were struck by six to seven foot high tidal waves submerging many areas. It first hit Patuakhali coast with wind speed up to 90 kilometres per hour on Thursday morning.

“But it did not gain strength in the last part of its journey,” said an official of the Bangladesh Met office. Several hundred dwellings in the coastal districts have collapsed amidst a power blackout in the whole region. Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to lower cautionary signal to three as the cyclone Mahasen has weakened.

As part of the preparedness, the authorities had earlier evacuated nearly two million people living in the coastal areas to safety. They have reportedly started leaving the cyclone shelters.

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