Bangladesh Cyclone Kills 242

A cyclone that hit the coast of Bangladesh has killed at least 242 people and left thousands homeless, government officials said today.

Winds of up to 150mph (240kmh) battered the country's south-west coast last night, flattening homes and forcing 650,000 villagers to be evacuated, according to a senior government official, Ali Imam Majumder.

Tropical cyclone Sidr destroyed thousands of flimsy straw and mud huts, uprooted trees, electricity and telephone poles, and destroyed crops and fish farms in 15 coastal districts.

Driving rain and high waves created a water surge 1.2 meters (4ft) high that swept through low-lying areas and some offshore islands, leaving them under water, said Nahid Sultana, an official at a cyclone control room in Dhaka.

Most of the victims were crushed by falling trees and debris. Others drowned after falling off boats, said Sultana.

The winds brought down trees, power lines and billboards in Dhaka, injuring several people, according to the cyclone monitoring team.

By this morning the cyclone had weakened into a tropical storm, with winds dropping to 37mph, officials said.

But much of the south-west coast remains without electricity and phone lines. Blocked roads, railways and rivers have cut off many areas.

Government and volunteer agencies have today been sent to the region to provide aid and medical help.