People returning home in Ctg

Inhabitants of Chittagong started returning home from shelters after cyclone Mahasen passed the coast without wreaking havoc.

Metrological Department on Thursday evening said the cyclone weakened after causing heavy downpour and was breezing past the Chittagong Hill Tracts and adjacent areas.

The danger level has been lowered to ‘3’ on a scale of 10 for the seaports as the risk has lessened.

Authorities said flight operations would resume at Shah Aamanat International Airport in Chittagong on Friday.

Loading and unloading of goods at Chittagong port has already resumed and berthing of ships will start on Friday.

Chittagong’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) SM Abdul Kader told bdnews24.com that inhabitants of the city and Upazilas started leaving the shelters for their homes as risk in the district was s over.

The Met Office, however, fears heavy downpour and landslide following the cyclone.

Sandwip Upazila Executive Officer Noor-e Khawza Alamim told bdnews24.com that though the cyclone hit Urir Char, other areas were not affected.

He further said tides caused collapse of several houses in Urir Char.: “We think the area is now almost risk-free.”

Alamim said around 700 houses and 5,000 families in Sandwip have been damaged by the cyclone.

Banshkhali Upazila Executive Officer Sabbir Kamal said residents there started leaving shelters. He said though some areas including Khankhanabad and Chhonua unions were inundated, no destruction was reported.

He said a 45-year-old woman died at a shelter at Banshkhali’s Kutubkhali at noon after falling sick.

Sitakunda Upazila Executive Officer Shaheen Imrul said people in the area began returning homes from shelters.

Chittagong City Corporation’s Public Relations Officer Saifuddin Ahmed said they were sending back the people from shelters in the city’s Patenga, Halishahar, Kattali and other areas.