Cyclone Amphan hits B’desh coast; 1 dead

1 mn customers lose power supply

Over one million consumers in the coastal areas of Bangladesh were without power after strong winds snapped electricity lines and many houses destroyed as the country was hit by a powerful cyclone on Wednesday that killed at least one person.

Cyclone 'Amphan', the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades, made a landfall on Wednesday evening. Authorities raised the alert level to 'great danger' for some districts in the country as the cyclone, the most powerful storm since cyclone 'Sidr' killed nearly 3,500 people in 2007, approached the coastline. "More than one million

consumers in at least 17 associations of the Rural Electrification Board have lost electricity," bdnews24.com reported.

Apart from this, almost 40,000 customers of West Zone Power Distribution Company have lost electricity supply.

The cyclone made landfall at 2.30 p.m. between Digha in West Bengal and and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, flattening fragile dwellings, uprooting trees and electric poles.

The cyclone 'Amphan' started crossing the Bangladesh coast around 5pm on Wednesday packing a wind speed of around 160 to 180kph rising to 200kph within 80km of its centre, meteorologist Abdul Mannan was quoted as saying by the newsportal.

"We have the preparations (to face cyclone Amphan). We are taking all possible measures that we should adopt for protecting the lives and properties of the people from the cyclone" —Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina