[NYTr] Bangladesh: Massive Hurricane Kills Hundreds; 600,000 Victims

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

Hurricane Kills Hundreds in Bangladesh

Dacca, Nov 16 (Prensa Latina) Preliminary fatalities from Hurricane
Sidr, which touched ground in southern coastal Bangladesh Thursday
night, is 425 with thousands injured, but police expect the number of
dead to be much greater.

UNB News Agency reported that the 149 mph winds destroyed houses and
electric power lines and uprooted thousands of trees.

Patuakhali District Police Chief Abu Saleh M. Raihan said most of the
victims were in small bamboo or tin houses felled by crashing trees.

The hurricane raised a wave 16 feet high devastating everything in it
path and leaving many areas flooded, without electric, transportation
or telephone service.

Dacca Airport, in the southern City of Chittagong, remained closed
Friday, making humanitarian aid difficult.

The World Food Program allocated 98 tons of cooked food for the 600,000
victims.

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