Members of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society ask people to vacate as strong winds caused by the advancing Cyclone Remal hit the Kuakata beach on the coast of Bay of Bengal in Barisal, Bangladesh, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdul Goni)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Bangladesh evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas on Sunday as the country and neighbouring India awaited the arrival of a severe cyclone that has formed over the Bay of Bengal.
The storm is expected to cross Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal coasts around midnight Sunday. The India Meteorological Department said it is expected to reach maximum wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph), with gusts up to 135 kph (85 mph) hitting West Bengal’s Sagar Island and Bangladesh’s Khepupara region on Sunday night.
Bangladesh’s junior minister for disaster management and relief, Mohibur Rahman, said volunteers have been deployed to evacuate people to 4,000 cyclone shelters across the country’s coastal region. The government also closed all schools in the region until further notice.
