Storm hits India, Bangladesh

Millions flee cyclone, flooding amid ravages of coronavirus

NEW DELHI — A powerful cyclone plowed inland Wednesday after crashing into the coasts of India and Bangladesh, where more than

2.6 million people fled to shelters in an evacuation made more challenging by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cyclone Amphan, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, was packing sustained winds of up to 105 miles per hour with maximum gusts of

118 mph.

Although the cyclone was expected to weaken as it moved towards Bangladesh, authorities warned of extensive damage to houses and storm surges pushing seawater 15 miles inland, flooding cities including Kolkata.

The cyclone washed away bridges connecting Indian islands to the mainland and left many areas without electricity or phone service, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters Wednesday evening. She said that while a clearer picture of the devastation would emerge by Thursday, there had been at least seven deaths.

“We are facing three crises: the coronavirus, the thousands of migrants who are returning home and now the cyclone,” said Banerjee, who is an opposition leader and a critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The southern districts of the state were worst affected, officials said, adding the crisis was far from over, with strong winds likely to continue until Thursday morning. Heavy rainfall was forecast for many parts of the state in the coming week.

“The next 24 hours are very crucial.

This is a long haul,” said M. Mohapatra, India’s meteorological chief.

The cyclone could endanger India’s fight against the coronavirus, with supply lines cut, roads destroyed and lockdown measures slowing relief work, said T. Sundaramanan, a health systems consultant in Pondicherry in southeast India.

Bangladesh has evacuated around 2.4 million people to safety. India’s West Bengal state moved nearly 300,000 and Odisha state another 148,486, officials said.

Some in the cyclone’s path saw a choice between the virus and the storm.

Many people in Digha feared going to the shelters, fisherman Debasis Shyamal said: “They have been home for weeks and are afraid of going into a crowd where they could get infected.”