At least 13 people have been killed and 4.5 million affected by floods caused by heavy rains in eastern Bangladesh, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief says.
Floods caused by torrential rains have inundated low-lying areas of Bangladesh and rescue teams are working to evacuate flooded communities.
Nearly 190,000 people have been moved to emergency relief shelters and 11 of the country’s 64 districts have been affected by floods, the ministry said on Friday.
Fani, located about 100 km (60 mi) northwest of the main port city of Chittagong, was worst hit by the storm.
This South Asian country of 170 million, surrounded by hundreds of rivers, has been plagued by frequent flooding in recent decades.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, it is one of the countries most vulnerable to disasters and climate change.
Three of the dead drowned in floodwaters in the southeastern area of Cox’s Bazar, said Rasedul Islam, chief administrative officer of Ramu district.
The annual monsoon rainfall causes massive destruction every year, but due to climate change the weather patterns are changing and the number of extreme weather events is increasing.
The army and navy have been deployed, and speedboats and helicopters are working to rescue people trapped in swollen rivers.
