Massive evacuations in Bangladesh and Myanmar due to the approaching cyclone

Powerful Cyclone Mocha is hitting the coasts of eastern Bangladesh and Myanmar and is likely to make landfall tomorrow. In Bangladesh, about half a million people are being evacuated to safer areas.

Thousands of people living along the coast in Myanmar’s Rakhine State have been evacuated, a government newspaper reported Myanmar’s New World Light. The typhoon, with speeds of up to 170 kilometers per hour, is likely to cause heavy rains and landslides.

In coastal areas of Bangladesh, volunteers use a loudspeaker to call for people to seek shelter. A cyclone in this country is feared to cause problems in the largest refugee camp in the world, Cox’s Bazar.

Nearly a million Rohingya refugees live in temporary homes in Cox’s Bazar. The Bangladeshi government does not allow the refugees to leave the camp. Officials in Cox’s Bazar say 1,000 people have been evacuated from part of the camp, according to reports BBC. There are also plans to remove another 8,000 people from another part if the situation worsens.

Tourists staying in hotels on the beach do not have to leave for the time being. Moreover, airports in the area are now closed, fishermen have been told to stop their work and 1,500 shelters have been set up.