About 500,000 people are being relocated in southeast Bangladesh to safer regions ahead of a potentially very dangerous hurricane.
According to a report, hurricane Mocha is expected to make landfall on Sunday with gusts of 170 kph and storm surges as high as 12 feet.
Meanwhile, there are concerns the cyclone could impact the world’s largest refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, where close to a million people live in makeshift homes.
Report says rains are already falling on the camp and red warning flags have been raised.
Cyclone Mocha could be the most powerful cyclone seen in Bangladesh in nearly two decades.
While the weather system heads towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast, nearby airports have been shut, fishermen have been told to suspend their work, and 1,500 shelters have been set up, as the process of moving people from vulnerable areas begins.
Officials in Cox’s Bazar said 1,000 people had already been evacuated from one area, with plans to move a further 8,000 people from a ward near the beach if the situation worsens.
In Sittwe City, the capital of Rakkhine state, the rain started on Friday night. The streets emptied out as people took shelter, with many seeking to find safety in cyclone shelters on high ground.
Report says there are almost no lifejackets to be found, and the remaining stock is being sold at a higher price. Gas stations also closed, making it difficult for people to drive out of the city.
Many say they are afraid and uncertain of what will happen if their shelters are hit by the storm because Bangladesh’s government forbids refugees from leaving their camps.
The cyclone is expected to deliver torrential rain, which can cause landslides and pose a major risk to people living in hillside communities where landslips are common.
