Cyclone Remal leaves 7 dead in Bangladesh

DHAKA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died in Bangladesh due to the devastations of cyclone Remal, which lashed parts of the South Asian country with heavy rain and strong wind on Sunday night.

The deaths were reported from five southern and southeastern Bangladeshi coastal districts. Apart from this, two people have been reported missing due to the severe cyclone.

Strong winds and storm surged along the coasts of southern Bangladesh and India's West Bengal after the storm came ashore at 8:00 p.m. local time, Md Shamim Ahsan, deputy director of the Cyclone Warning Center at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), told Xinhua.

The cyclone damaged crops in about a dozen coastal districts. At least 800,000 people from the 10 most vulnerable districts have already been evacuated to shelters.

Television stations Monday showed widespread flooding in coastal areas of Cox's Bazaar, Chattogram, Patuakhali and other districts.

Power supply snapped in the coastal areas in Bangladesh after the fierce winds uprooted electricity poles and left wires tangled with logs and twigs.

The cyclonic devastations reportedly left 15 million people without electricity.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibur Rahman said that they have taken adequate measures to support the affected people.

In a bulletin on Monday, BMD said Remal has already weakened and was gradually reduced to a depression.