Bangladesh News

The Armed Forces Division yesterday put the death toll from cyclone Sidr at 3,199 which was 3,167 on Wednesday.

The AFD officials disclosed the figure at a press conference at the Disaster Control and Monitoring Cell of the Dhaka Cantonment.

They said the AFD has restored river communications in many parts of the cyclone hit districts. Besides, road communication and electricity supply in the areas battered by cyclone Sidr are expected to be restored within a week.

Six water purifying plants have already been set up in the cyclone-affected areas while the process of installing three more are underway as per the directives of Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed.

“River communication up to Sharankhola of Bagerhat has been restored while Amtoli ferry ghat of Kalapara Upazila in Patuakhali has started functioning today,” Lt Col Main Ullah Chowdhury, General Staff Officer (GSO)-1 of AFD, told the reporters yesterday.

A number of areas experienced power disruption as the Pirojpur electricity tower was damaged, said Squadron Leader Abu Zahid Mohsin adding that the electricity supply would be normal within a week.

He said the AFD yesterday transported 59.6 tonnes of emergency relief materials to the affected areas while the total quantity of transported relief items stands at 324 tonnes. Of those, 113 tonnes were carried by helicopters and aircraft yesterday.

Lt Col Main said Tk 50.67 lakh had already been deposited with the AFD disaster fund as they are getting remarkable response from the people for helping the cyclone victims.

“It will take two months for the mid-term and four months for the long-term rehabilitation as designed by the high-level officials,” added Main.