Cyclone Remal Highlights: Two killed as cyclonic storm ravages parts of Bengal; more rain likely

“Nearly 15,000 houses in 24 blocks and 79 municipal wards, mostly in the southern coastal areas of West Bengal, were affected by Cyclone Remal,” a senior official of the State government said. “At least 2,140 trees were uprooted in various parts of the State which also witnessed the falling of 337 electric poles,” he added.

“According to the initial evaluation, at least 14,941 houses were damaged, out of which 13,938 were partially affected while 1,003 were destroyed,” he said. “The figures will probably increase after another round of evaluation. Our officials in the districts are working and the process of evaluation is still on. The estimation of the damage is being calculated,” the official said.

“The administration had shifted 2,07,060 people to the 1,438 safe shelters,” he said, adding that at the moment there are 77,288 people. “There are 341 gruel kitchens being operated at the moment. We have distributed 17,738 tarpaulin to the affected people in the coastal and low-lying areas,” he said. The affected areas included Kakdwip, Namkhana, Sagard Island, Diamond Harbour, Fraserganj, Bakkhali and Mandarmani. - PTI

“West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep concern over the impact of Cyclone Remal in Sundarbans and other coastal areas of the State as she took stock of the situation,” an official said.

She spoke with Chief Secretary B. P. Gopalika to assess the extent of devastation caused by the cyclone and the measures being taken to address the aftermath.

“The CM spoke to the Chief Secretary over the phone and enquired about the number of lives lost and injured as a result of Cyclone Remal. She also enquired about the extent of damage, including uprooted electric poles and trees and the progress of restoration efforts,” the official said. - PTI

“The death toll from a cyclone that smashed into low-lying areas of Bangladesh has risen to at least 10 people, with more than 30,000 homes destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged,” top local officials said.

“They mostly died after they were crushed under fallen houses or collapsed walls,” said Showkat Ali, government administrator of Barisal district, where seven people died. Three others died in neighbouring districts, some by drowning.

Fierce gales and crashing waves battered the coast as Cyclone Remal made landfall on May 26. By Monday afternoon, it had weakened into a storm, but winds and rain still lashed the coast. “Heavy rains unleashed by the cyclone are going on, and the wind speed is also high,” Mr. Ali added.

In Khulan district, two people died, government administrator Helal Mahmud said. “The cyclone has damaged more than 1,23,000 homes in the division, and among them some 31,000 homes were completely damaged,” he said.

Another person died in Chittagong, where “more than 40,000 people are still in cyclone shelters due to heavy rains and strong wind”, administrator Tofael Islam said. Power was knocked out to more than 12.5 million people, said Biswanath Sikder, chief engineer of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board, the country’s largest state-run power distribution company. - AFP

Two persons were killed and normal life was affected as cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ battered past coastal areas of West Bengal including Kolkata. The cyclone left a trail of destruction with trees being uprooted, houses being damaged and embankments being breached in coastal areas of the State.

Sheikh Sajid, (51) was killed at Entally area in Kolkata when the roof of a structure came crashing down on him. Renuka Mondal (80) in Kolkata was reported dead at Mousuni Island at the mouth Bay of Bengal when a tree fell on the roof of her house.

Three persons were injured and vehicular movement was disrupted as trees lay uprooted in several parts of Kolkata in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh, officials said on May 27.

Reports of uprooting of trees have been received from Southern Avenue, Lake Place, Chetla, D.L. Khan Road, Dufferin Road, Ballygunge Road, New Alipore, Behala, Jadavpur, Golpark, Hatibagan, Jagat Mukherjee Park and College Street, as well as the city’s adjoining Salt Lake area, they said.

Around 68 trees were uprooted in Kolkata, and another 75 in nearby Salt Lake and Rajarhat area.

- PTI

At least seven people were killed and millions were left without power as Severe Cyclone ‘Remal’ lashed the coasts of Bangladesh with devastating winds of up to 120 kph and storm surges, inundating hundreds of villages.

Remal weakened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, sustaining wind speeds of 80-90 kilometres per hour, following landfall around midnight of Sunday, the Met Department said.

The department said that the weather system, which lay 150 km northeast of Sagar Island at 5.30 a.m., brought torrential rain and moved northeastwards to weaken further into a cyclonic storm.

PTI

Three persons were injured and vehicular movement was disrupted as trees lay uprooted in several parts of Kolkata in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh, officials said on Monday.

Reports of uprooting of trees have been received from Southern Avenue, Lake Place, Chetla, D L Khan Road, Dufferin Road, Ballygunge Road, New Alipore, Behala, Jadavpur, Golpark, Hatibagan, Jagat Mukherjee Park and College Street, as well as the city’s adjoining Salt Lake area, they said.

Around 68 trees were uprooted in Kolkata, and another 75 in nearby Salt Lake and Rajarhat area. “Water-logging was reported from various places including Southern Avenue, Lake View Road, Pratapaditya Road, Tollygunge Phari, Alipore and Central Avenue, resulting in traffic diversion,” a senior officer of Kolkata Traffic Police said.

Three persons have suffered injuries in Manicktala area after the cyclone struck, though the exact cause is yet to be known, an official said.

PTI

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in two Tripura districts - Sepahijala and Gumati - in view of the possible impact of cyclone Remal, an official said on May 27.

An orange alert has also been sounded in the remaining six districts of the northeastern State which is likely to witness heavy rain and gusty winds as a result of the cyclone.

“A red alert has been sounded in Sepahijala and Gumati districts in anticipation of heavy to very heavy rainfall during the day while an orange alert has been sounded in the remaining six districts of the state”, Director of Indian Meteorological department, Agartala, Partha Roy told PTI.

Several districts of Assam are on high alert in the wake of forecast for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from May 27 under the impact of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The Northeast Frontier Railway, in a release, said 42 trains have been cancelled for two days from Monday. Several parts of Assam, including Guwahati, received rainfall since late Sunday evening, bringing down soaring mercury levels in the State. - PTI

One more death was reported from Mousuni Island of Sundarbans as cyclone Remal made landfall. An elderly woman died after a tree fell on her house. This takes the death toll to two.

- Shiv Sahay Singh

The first plane to depart on May 27 was IndiGo’s Kolkata-Port Blair flight at 8.59 a.m., while the first one to land in Kolkata was SpiceJet’s flight from Guwahati. It landed at 09.50 a.m., an Airports Authority of India (AAI) top official said. 

Though the process of resuming flight operations has begun, it will take some more time for the situation to become normal, sources at the airport said.

The weather system, which lay 150 km northeast of Sagar Island at 5.30 a.m. on May 27, brought torrential rain in Kolkata and the coastal districts of West Bengal overnight, the Met Department said.

Kolkata recorded a rainfall of 146 mm in the period between 8.30 a.m. on Sunday and 5.30 a.m. of Monday. Other places in south Bengal which received heavy rainfall during the period are Haldia (110 mm), Tamluk (70 mm) and Nimpith (70 mm), it said.

- PTI

Flights resume at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on May 27 morning. The airport services were suspended for almost 20 hours since yesterday.

Train services resumed in South section of Sealdah Division at 9 a.m.

- Shiv Sahay Singh

One person reported dead in Kolkata’s Entally area after the roof of his house collapsed.

“56 trees uprooted, attempts to remove the trees on,” said Kolkata Municipal Corporal Mayor Firhad Hakim.

- Shiv Sahay Singh

The severe cyclonic storm Remal over coastal Bangladesh and adjoining coastal West Bengal moved nearly northwards, with a speed of 15 kmph during past six hours, weakened into a cyclonic storm on May 27. The system is initially likely to move north-northeastwards, subsequently northeastwards and gradually weaken further.

“It lay centered at 01:30 hrs IST of today, the 27th May, 2024 over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal, near latitude 21.9°N and longitude 89,2°E about 115 km east of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 105 km west-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 70 km southeast of Canning (West Bengal) and SO km south-southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh), The system would continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm by morning of May 27,” said IMD in a post on X.

Water logging in various parts of Kolkata and trees uprooted in different areas. Kolkata received 146.2 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

- Shiv Sahay Singh

Efforts to restore normality are underway, with emergency services working to clear debris and restore power in the affected areas. However, the continuous heavy rain is hampering these operations in most of the affected areas, officials said. 

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed but initial reports suggest that it will take considerable time and effort to recover from this natural disaster.

Widespread devastation is visible across coastal areas of West Bengal on May 27, a day after severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ made landfall packing winds up to 135 kilometres per hour.

‘Remal’ left a trail of destruction in its wake. Roofs of thatched huts were blown away, trees uprooted and electric poles knocked down, causing significant disruption in various parts of the state, including Kolkata. - PTI