Ehsanul Haque Jasim :The Cyclone ‘Komen’ over the Bay of Bengal on Thursday moved slightly northwards coastal districts. It was moving slowly to westwards, losing its strength, becoming a deep depression by midnight. The Met office apprehended that the ‘Komen’ might cross Chittagong coast near Sandwip upazila by early hours of Friday. According to the bulletin of the Met office, the cyclone was centered at 6:00 pm about 50 kms southwest of Chittagong port, 105 kms northwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 200 kms east of Mongla port and 125 kms east-northeast of Payra port. Officials of the Met office said that cyclones during the monsoon are usually not severe. But the storm is more intense on its right side and areas within 100km of its centre may suffer much damage.The government on Thursday evacuated about 600,000 people from the coastal areas ahead of Komen’s possible deadly hit in midnight. 13 districts in the possible path of the cyclone have been covered by such evacuation.Sea will remain very rough during its apprehended hit in midnight. Maritime ports of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar have been advised to continue hoisted danger signal number seven. The coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, and their offshore islands and chars were also came under danger signal number seven.The low-lying areas of the coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars were likely to be inundated by storm surge of 3-5 feet height above normal astronomical tide. Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division.Meanwhile, at least six deaths were reported from the St Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar and some other costal districts during gusty winds, triggered by cyclone ‘Komen’, as trees and wall collapsed on them. Many houses on the island and coastal districts were destroyed, while low-lying areas were inundated. Among the six people, four were killed in Cox’s Bazar, while one each in Bhola and Patuakhali. In Cox’s Bazar, one deceased was identified as Mohammad Islam, 50. He met the tragic end of his life when a tree collapsed on him in Saint Martin’s Island under Teknaf upazila. In Moheshkhali Island, a child was killed when a wall collapsed on him while two others drowned in a boat capsize during the storm. Cox’s Bazar’s acting Deputy Commissioner Anupam Saha said all educational institutions in the district had been closed till further notice.Besides, six fishermen from Ukhiya upazila remained missing in the Bay of Bengal.In Bhola, the deceased was identified as Monzuma Begum, 55, wife of Sobahan Mollah, a resident of the Char Kochuakhali village in coastal Lalmohan upazila. She died as a tree, uprooted by strong wind, fell on her early in the morning. In Patuakhali, Md Noor Islam, 52, a farmer of Kalyan Kalas village, was killed as a roadside tree fell on him in the afternoon.Meanwhile, the coastal districts witnessed a gloomy weather coupled with drizzling intermittently since Wednesday midnight. All vessels of the Chittagong Port were taken to safer places while lighter vessels were kept near Karnaphuli Bridge to avoid any accident. Besides, flight operations at Chittagong International Airport remained suspended in fear of any probable damage to be caused by ‘Komen’. About one hundred medical teams with 5,000 health workers and volunteers of the Red Crescent Society have been kept ready. The district administration, however, was monitoring round the clock in this regard.Meanwhile, the authorities have suspended ferry services under Roads and Highway Division throughout the country because of the bad weather. The services will remain suspended until further notice. In Chandpur, authorities suspended services in 18 routes, said acting Deputy Commissioner Abu Ali Md Sazzad Hossain. Ferry services in Munshiganj’s Shimuliya-Kawrakandi route and Manikganj’s Paturiya-Doulatdiya , Aricha-Kajirhat routes, however, are running but plying of launches and other small vessels were halted.
