Scores of coastal villages remained cut-off while thousands of people over vast swathes of land escaped from their homes as the depression that moved onto land on Thursday continued to wreak havoc along its path, unleashing storm surges, heavy wind and extremely heavy rain.
At 3:00pm on Friday, about 25 hours after the depression hit Bangladesh鈥檚 coast with full force, rain and gusty wind continued to lash the coastline in Chattogram, with storm surge causing water to rise nearly two feet above normal tide in Mongla in Bagergat district.
At the same time on Thursday, Mongla saw storm surge with water walls rising over two feet above the regular tide levels. Similar storm surges were recorded along a long stretch of the coastline from Chattogram to Barishal, where many breaches were opened in poorly maintained protection embankments, inundating scores of villages with salt water.
Lightering vessels ran aground in Chattogram in strong wind and waves amidst heavy rain that started in the wee hours of Thursday, continuing non-stop for more than 24 hours through early Friday across Bangladesh.
Soil falling off the rain-soaked hills in the Chittagong Hill Tracts interrupted road communications, especially in Bandarban, prompting authorities to open scores of temporary shelter to tackle potential large-scale landslides.
Rivers, particularly in the north-eastern and eastern regions, swelled by up to 12 feet in the gap of 24 hours until 9:00am on Friday. Over the same time, Bangladesh鈥檚 maximum rainfall of 285mm was recorded in Feni.
By Thursday night, roads in towns and cities, including the capital Dhaka, was filled with water, producing waves that people grudgingly likened to rivers.
Commuters, including in cities, remained stranded for hours on Thursday as roads went under water. Vehicles turned immobile with engine trouble or dead batteries. Many vehicles turned turtle stumbling on potholes. Rickshaws overturned, throwing their passengers into knee- to waist-deep water.
Many abandoned their rides halfway through and walked long to return home, braving incessant heavy rain. Others remained stuck in their vehicles for hours and watched the clock struck midnight hours.
鈥楢ll hell broke loose. I returned home at 4:00am on Friday,鈥� said Mukhlesur Rahman, who started from Gulshan around 7:00pm on Thursday for his Mirpur residence.
Dhaka recorded 195mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until 6:00am on Friday.
On Friday morning, two people were electrocuted in Demra and Gulistan as they waded through swamped roads where live power cable, torn by the storm, lay undetected.
The deceased were identified as Md Aynal Hossain, 30, a tailor, and Mohammad Al Amin, 35, an auto-rickshaw driver.
The skies of Dhaka remained overcast amidst intermittent rain on Friday with hundreds of slum dwellers in Mirpur taking shelter under the flyovers with their homes inundated with waist-deep water.
Giving rain, the depression weakened into a well-marked low by 6:00pm on Friday over Sherpur and adjoining areas, potentially moving to north and north-eastward, said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, predicting light to moderate rainfall in most places in Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions today and tomorrow.
The country鈥檚 highest rainfall of 229mm in the 24 hours until 6:00pm on Friday was recorded in Chattogram. All four maritime ports remained under Signal Number Three.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre predicted flash flood in Feni, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrokona and Noakhali districts. The Muhuri River in Parshuram upazila swelled 349cm in 24 hours until 9:00am on Friday.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Chattogram reported that authorities sent out teams requesting through loudspeakers those living on hill slopes or 30 to 40 feet within hills to evacuate immediately.
High tides washed away parts of an embankment along Napit Khal in Anwara upazila in Chattogram, inundating nearby agricultural land and fish enclosures and exposing hundreds of people to damage.
Four lightering vessels ran aground along the Patenga and Anwara coastlines.
At least 50 coastal areas in Cox鈥檚 Bazar have been inundated while tidal surges severely impacted the Saint Martin鈥檚 Island and Kutubdia upazila.
In Kutubjom union of Maheshkhali, a man identified as Danu Mia, 40, was swept away by tidal waters on Thursday afternoon.
officials of government and non-governmental organisations are also on high alert and closely monitoring situations at 33 Rohingya refugee camps in the hills of Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas, where nearly 13 lakh refugees reside, a-third of them living in highly dangerous conditions.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Barishal reported that communications on the river route on Barishal-Dhaka remained suspended for the second consecutive day. Barishal witnessed unusual tide between 8:00am and 12:30pm on Friday.
鈥業t feels like cyclone,鈥� said Hanif Molla, a local resident.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Rajshahi reported that several thousand acres of paddy field with boro crop in the district was ready for harvest, but now the fields went under knee-to-waist-deep water that would take days to drain out.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Khagrachhari reported that low lying areas in the district went under water following hilly rivers dramatically swelling, forcing hundreds people to leave their homes.
The Ruma police officer-in-charge said that landslide near Y-junction cut off his area from road communication with Bandarban district.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Feni reported that in Parshuram upazila heavy wind downed electricity poles, cutting off the power supply leading to the mobile network to get cut off as well.
Chattogram divisional commissioner Md Ziauddin said that coastal protection embankments were breached at many places in his division, including Noakhali, Cumilla and Matarbari of Cox鈥檚 Bazar.
鈥榃e are yet to get a full report and in dark about the situation in the islands, such as St Martins and Sandwip,鈥� said Zia.
