Massive evacuations underway as ‘Mora’ nears in Ctg

Chittagong district administration has started evacuation of the people of the most vulnerable six coastal upazilas of the district to safer places and nearby cyclone shelters since this evening after the Met office has issued “Great Danger Signal” no. 10 at Chittagong port.

There are 479 cyclone shelters in the district, which can accommodate nearly 4.45 lakh people. Apart from this, there are 458 government offices, schools which are opened to take shelter if needed.

Deputy Commissioner, Chittagong Zillur Rahman Chowdhury told BSS tonight.

The DC said nearly 30,000 people have already taken shelter in the centres and uncountable people also took refuge to their close relatives and police are exerting pressures on those who are reluctant to go to safer places.

In addition, the district administration through loudspeakers has been asking people from the coastal upazilas in the district to evacuate and go to the cyclone shelters immediately.

Under the influence of the cyclonic storm ‘Mora’, the entire Chittagong started to experience light rainfall and low-lying areas of the coastal upazila of districts are likely to be inundated by storm surge of four-five feet height above normal astronomical tide, the Met office sources said.

Earlier, Leaves of all officials, employees, doctors and nurses have been cancelled and kept standby to face any eventuality of the Mora, said Zillur, also chairman of the district’s disaster management committee.

One hundred medical teams with 5000 health workers, adequate number of volunteers of the Red Crescent society have been kept ready and district administration is monitoring round the clock in this regard.

CPA, district administration, Chittagong civil surgeon, Chittagong City Corporation and Red Crescent Society have separately opened up control rooms to monitor the pre and post cyclonic storm Mora.

All the vehicles of Chittagong City Corporation are prepared to respond to any emergency call, the CCC sources said.

The ward councilors are working in the area to aware people and are also coordinating different voluntary organizations and non government organizations to face probable consequence of the cyclone.

Source: BSS