Cyclone Amphan: Around 5 lakh moved to shelters in Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat

A total of 472,068 people were moved to 3,677 cyclone shelters in three costal districts -- Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat -- till this noon as super cyclone storm Amphan is set to make landfall this evening.

Dr Md Anwar Hossain Hawlader, commissioner of Khulna division, confirmed it to our Khulna correspondent and said over 16.50 lakh people can take shelter in 3,755 centres in the three districts.

He said the authorities have been asked to keep adequate clean water in the shelters. 

All district administrations under the division have been asked to follow healthcare guidelines, including social distancing, in the cyclone shelters, said the commissioner.

Some women and children were washing hands with sanitizer at a cyclone shelter at Munshiganj in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira today to stop the spread of coronavirus infection. Photo: Star

Besides, some 303 medical teams and 26,213 volunteers are ready in the three coastal districts to face any situation over the cyclone storm, reports our correspondent.

In Khulna, the district administration evacuated 80,600 people from the vulnerable areas and sent them to 814 cyclone shelters, said Mohammad Helal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Khulna.

The DC asked all the evacuated people to use masks and wash their hands properly at the shelters to stop the spread of coronavirus, reports our Khulna correspondent.

In Bagerhat, around 1,59,803 people were taken to 1,018 shelters in nine upazilas of the district, said M Mamunur Rashid, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat.  

In Satkhira, the district administration moved 2,31,665 people to 1,845 shelters in the district, said SM Mostafa Kamal, deputy commissioner of Satkhira.