PM witnesses cyclone devastation in Patuakhali from aboard helicopter

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday flew by a helicopter over Mathbaria and Pathorghata areas in Patuakhali district to get a bird‍‍`s eye view of the devastation caused by this week‍‍`s Cyclone Remal.

Mathbaria and Pathorghata in Kalapara were among the hardest-hit areas when the cyclone roaring from the Bay of Bengal hit the Bangladesh coast on Sunday.

The prime minister‍‍`s helicopter at some points flew just above the ground so she can have a better view of the damages caused by the cyclone that triggered tidal surges and torrential rains washing away beribadhs, fish farms, felling houses in trees along the coast.

It also left at least 13 people dead and many injured amid huge evacuation of people to cyclone shelters in an operation constantly monitored by the prime minister from Dhaka.

The helicopter carrying the PM landed at the helipad adjoining to Khepupara Govt Model Secondary School,  Kalapara of Patukhali district at 12:20pm today after around one and a half hours of ride from Dhaka.

She is scheduled to distribute relief among the cyclone-affected people at the Government Mozaharuddin Biswas Degree College here.

Afterwards, she will visit the Shaheed Sheikh Kamal Bridge on Patuakhali-Kuakata road.

PM Hasina will later sit with the divisional level officials to review the relief operation and assess the immediate rehabitation needs of the affected people.

Wrapping up her day-long programme to the area Hasina is scheduled to leave for Dhaka at 3 pm, according to her office.

Besides claiming lives Cyclone Remal destroyed over 35,000 homes, and seriously affected more than 37 lakh people in 19 districts. 

The storm made landfall near Khepupara of Patuakhali with wind speed of up to 130kmph on Sunday evening. 

As many as 327,000 people have so far been affected in the district while some 235 houses were completely and 1,865 others were partially destroyed, official sources said.

Across the affected areas the agricultural sector suffered losses of over Tk 260 million, while the fishery sector‍‍`s losses are estimated to be over Tk 280 million, said the sources.