OCHA Situation Report No. 1 Bangladesh Rainstorms and Floods 29 May 2000
Situation and Damage 1. Severe winds accompanied by heavy rains swept across Bangladesh on 27 May 2000. According to the Office of the UN Resident Co-ordinator in Dhaka, no official damage report from the Bangladeshi Government is available so far. However, the media reports that 36 people were killed in 11 districts. 2. In the capital, Dhaka, the strong storms with a maximum wind speed exceeding 70 km/h, had a devastating effect early morning on Saturday, 27 May. 11 people were reportedly killed and hundreds of people injured when their thatched houses collapsed. About 2,000 houses were devastated leaving about 1,000 people homeless. Power supply and telecommunication systems were badly affected. Hundreds of trees were uprooted causing road blockages in many parts of the Dhaka city. The rainfall recorded in the city in 39 hours from 6 a.m. on 26 May until 9 p.m. on 27 May, reached 140 mm which is much higher than the normal rainfall during this season. 3. The storms also lashed extensive areas of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Comilla, Mymenshingh, Tangail, Chandpur, and Kishoreganj districts. According to the media, about 30 people in Tangail district and Kishoreganj district, respectively, were injured and crops were also extensively damaged. 4. Continuing heavy rains have inundated low-lying areas of Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts and have also triggered flash floods in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar areas. Flash floods have also reportedly severely affected some areas of Moulavibazar district, northeastern Bangladesh, when the Manu and Dholai rivers breached their embankments at six points on 28 May. 5. 8 fishermen were missing when two fishing boats sank in the Bay of Bengal on 27 May. In the same area 7 fishermen were killed and another 21 are still missing after two boats sank due to the strong storm on 23 May. 6. The Meteorological Department of the Bangladeshi Government confirmed the early start of the monsoon this year. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board reported on 27 May that the Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers registered rises at all points. The level of the Padma river fell upstream while at other points it registered further rises. Most of the rivers in the Meghana basin have risen, some of them have shown sharp rises. The Manu river at Manu Railway Bridge is flowing above danger level. Most of the rivers in the South-Eastern Hill basin showed a sharp fall and are now flowing below danger level. National and International Response 7. No request for international assistance has been received by OCHA to date. 8. The Government has set up camps to provide shelter and relief to the victims in the Dhaka city. 9. The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka is monitoring the situation of the disaster. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is in close contact with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and will revert with further information if the situation warrants it. 10. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in NYC) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -