Over 2,500 evacuated from Saint Martin

Over 2,500 people have been evacuated, so far, from the Saint Martin's island, being the most dangerous area to face the wrath of the cyclone 'MOCHA', to safety shelters nearby and Teknaf till now, Cox's Bazar District Relief and Rehabilitation sources said.

"Under the peripheral effect of the cyclone, storms of winds with heavy rains may start from Saturday afternoon and there is a risk of inundation of the low-lying areas," MD Jahangir Alam, an official of the District Relief and Rehabilitation Centre here, told journalists.

"The work of moving people to safety started this morning. People in Moheshkhali's Matarbari and Dhalghata, Shahparir Dwip in Teknaf and St. Martin's Island have taken refuge in nearby safety centers. The administration is providing cooked and dry foods to the sheltered people at various centers," he added.
 
A control room has been opened in Cox's Bazar District Commissioner Office (control room contact number- 01872615132).

The district administration sources said that 576 shelters have been opened in the district since Saturday morning. Miking Campaign is being carried out to make the coastal residents take shelter before the cyclone hits.

Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Muhammad Shahin Imran said: "Apart from the 576 shelter centers, various social, educational and religious institutions have been prepared as temporary shelters for more than five lakh people."

Around 8,600 volunteers of the Red Crescent are campaigning for people to come to the shelters and the administration is providing vehicles for a speedy evacuation, he added.

"Control rooms have been opened in the district and all upazilas. Around Taka 10 lakh in cash, 440 tonnes of rice, seven tonnes of dry food, ample amounts of water purification pills and 194 bundles of corrugated tin have been kept as emergency relief supply," the DC continued.

Hundreds of people have taken shelter in Municipal Preparatory High School of Cox's Bazar Sadar as the weather forecast predicted that the cyclone may start from this evening.

The district Administration has marked out the highly perilous areas, which are prone to tidal surge, flooding and land slide or mountain collapse due to heavy rain. Therefore, people are being evacuated to the shelters from the dangerous areas, the DC added.

The local meteorology department in its latest directives asked the seaport of Cox's Bazar to hoist "great danger signal no-10" and all fishing boats and trawlers over north bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.