At least 20 dead as Cyclone Roanu slams Bangladesh

Cyclone Roanu slammed into the Bangladesh coastlines after making landfall in a southernmost coastal district on Saturday afternoon, leaving a trail of devastation.

An official of Bangladesh's National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) told Xinhua Saturday night that "the cyclone caused the deaths of 20 people in four districts."

According to the official, eleven people died in Chittagong, three each in southern Bhola and Cox's Bazar, two in Noakhali and another in Patuakhali in southern and southeastern in Bangladesh.

The official feared that there could be more casualties.

Many Bangladesh coasts have been battered by ferocious winds with speed up to 90 kph, which uprooted trees and homes, ripped roofs off buildings and caused widespread power and water outages.

Dozens of villages in the districts have reportedly been flooded and many susceptible houses have been damaged fully or partially.

Due to very heavy rainfall, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated or sought safe shelter before the storm hit the Bangladesh coast from the Bay of Bengal on Saturday afternoon.

Bangladesh Friday ordered the evacuation of some 2.1 million people from its coastline as the cyclonic storm "Roanu" in the Bay of Bengal was poised to cross the country Saturday.

The danger signal No. 7 has been sounded for all ports in Bangladesh's Chittagong where fishing boats, trawlers and maritime vessels have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice. Endit