Hundreds of thousands to be evacuated as Bangladesh and Myanmar brace for severe cyclone

Dhaka, May 12 (BNA): Authorities in Bangladesh and Myanmar prepared to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people Friday, warning them to stay away from coastal areas due to the severe cyclone that hit the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Mocha is expected to make landfall on Sunday with winds of up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 175 kilometers per hour between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, the India Meteorological Department said.

Bangladesh, a delta state of over 160 million people, is prone to natural disasters such as floods and cyclones. The evacuation of nearly 500,000 people is expected to begin on Saturday with 576 cyclone shelters ready to provide refuge to those relocated from their homes along the coast, said Mohammad Shaheen Imran, director of the Bangladesh government.

The International Rescue Committee said in a statement that the cyclone poses a threat to Rohingya refugees who have fled neighboring Myanmar and are living in camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, the Associated Press reports.

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