Madhurima
DHAKA: Around 1.4 Million people living around the coastal areas in Bangladesh have begun taking refuge in the storm shelters as cyclone 'Amphan' is moving closer to the coast on Wednesday, May 20.
Local individuals are being shifted to the to shelters by the authorities still, as per Kazi Tasmin Aara Ajmiri, the Deputy Secretary from the National Disaster Response Coordination Centre (NDRCC).
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People began arriving at the centre from Tuesday, May 19. They had to return home as the storm didn't hit the coast yet. The Deputy Secretary said that they are being brought back again.
She also shared, "There are 1,364,000 people in the shelters as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday."
The Meteorological Department from Bangladesh raised the storm alert to great danger signal 9 for Chattogram and Cox's Bazar port as the cyclone was 345 kilometres away from the coastline of Bangladesh.
Other ports like Mongla and Payra were appealed to keep hoisted the great danger signal number 10.
The storm is expected to emerge through the coast of Bangladesh and West Bengal around the Sundarbans today i.e. Wednesday evening, May 20.
Around 12,000 volunteers will be working in the established shelters where social distancing is also being encouraged due to the continued coronavirus outbreak.
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The local authorities and the Red Crescent Society are also doing their bit by supplying food, water and candles to the individuals taking refuge in the shelter homes created for them.
