A cyclone that hit Bangladesh and eastern India on Wednesday night, 21 May led to the deaths of at least 22 people, according to Al Jazeera. Cyclone Amphan is the most powerful cyclone to have hit the area in more than 20 years.
Thousands are left homeless after winds of up to 170km/h swept through, ripping roofs from houses and uprooting trees.
‘The impact of Amphan is worse than coronavirus,’ said Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, according to NDtv.
‘Five million people are without power. There have been heavy damages, especially in southwestern Bangladesh in the Sundarbans mangrove forest which got the direct hit … thousands of houses have been washed away due to the tidal surge,’ said Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.
‘People are definitely going to lose croplands and fisheries. That area is known for shrimp culture and other aquaculture, so these people are going to lose their livelihood.’
Residents posted footage of the devastation caused by the cyclone:
Bruh, this video from Kolkata airport is giving me chills. #CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/VbN7hzfzmg
— Mayukh Majumdar (@themayukhsutra) May 21, 2020
2020 continues to be the monster😥😥
The disturbing images of the destruction caused by cyclone #Amphan are now emerging after people are getting some mobile connectivity and electricity.
Our prayers are with the people of Bengal and odisha🙏#prayforwestbengal #AmphanCyclon pic.twitter.com/afRtZ7fnOG— Mohit Singhania♻️ (@doctor_chandler) May 21, 2020
— Mohit Singhania♻️ (@doctor_chandler) May 21, 2020
#SuperCycloneAmphan hits Bengal ! Complete power outage in our area. #AmphanCyclon #AmphanUpdates #WestBengal #WeatherUpdate #Amphan #AmphanCyclone #CycloneAmphan #CycloneAmphanUpdates pic.twitter.com/9SlJG1ZVL3#AmphanCyclon
— प्रशांत राठौर (@prashan49939961) May 21, 2020
My heart is breaking for India and Bangladesh today as Cyclone Amphan makes landfall.
This is the story of the climate emergency over and over and over again: The most marginalized people in the world are bearing the brunt of the worst impacts.
This is such cruel injustice 💔 pic.twitter.com/2FD2X7OEzM
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 20, 2020
Image credit: Twitter/ @doctor_chandler
