600,000 evacuated in Bangladesh

Cyclone Mora battered Bangladesh yesterday killing five people and seriously damaging a camp housing thousands of Rohingya refugees who had fled violence in Myanmar.

Authorities said they evacuated nearly 600,000 people from vulnerable areas before the storm hit the coastal district here early yesterday, bringing winds of up to 135kph.

Disaster management authoritiessaid five people had been killed, four of them crushed by falling trees in the area.

Some of the worst damage was at camps housing the 300,000 Rohingya refugees living here, many of them in flimsy huts.

The local head of the International Organisation for Migration, which coordinates relief for the refugees, said the bulk of the homes at one camp had their roofs blown off.

“At Kutupalong camp, Rohingya people have started repairing their houses.”

Kutupalong houses nearly 14,000 registered refugees, although many recent arrivals who lack official refugee status are also said to be living there.

Community leaders said there had been no attempt to evacuate undocumented Rohingya, although those with official refugee status were alerted about the dangers.

Abdul Salam, a Rohingya community leader, said 20,000 homes had been damaged and some residents injured.

Away from the camps, authorities had evacuated 600,000 people to cyclone shelters, schools and offices after raising the highest number 10 weather danger alert.