The number of deaths from cyclone Yaas has risen to at least nine in India and Bangladesh. In neighbouring countries, hundreds of thousands of residents along the low-lying coast are trapped by the floods that have taken place there.
The cyclone made landfall in eastern India on Wednesday and reached wind up to 155 kilometres per hour. In addition to the states of West Bengal and Odisha, part of Bangladesh was also affected by the natural disasters, which was accompanied by meter-high waves at sea and a lot of rain. This led to the flooding of towns and villages along the coast.
According to a West Bengal minister, the water level in the sea and rivers was even 3 to 4 meters higher than under normal circumstances. More than 300,000 homes have been lost in West Bengal. Rescue work is made more difficult because people do not dare to leave their own homes for fear of the coronavirus.
Before the severe cyclone made landfall, mass evacuations were already carried out in eastern India. The evacuees are received in thousands of reception locations. The authorities are trying to consider the coronavirus, which has caused many victims in the Asian country since April.
Yaas, now weakened as India’s depression moves inland, arrived just a week after cyclone Tauktae in western India killed at least 155 people.