The inland water transport, including the long-route launch services, has been shut down across the country as cyclone Mora heads fast towards Bangladesh's coast.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Monday ordered a halt to all water transport services until further notice.
BIWTA Public Relation Officer Mobarak Hossain Majumder told the Dhaka Tribune that danger signal 2 was hosted at the river ports.
“Cyclone Mora is very close to the coastal area,” he said. “The BIWTA decided to suspend inland water transport services to ensure public safety.”
Meanwhile, the weather office has advised hoisting danger signal No 7 at maritime ports of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Mongla and Payra.
Mora was centred at around 530km south-southwest of Chittagong port around 9am on Monday, a Meteorological Department report said.
The storm is likely to intensify further and hit the coast between Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong by Tuesday morning.
“We are initially calling it a cyclone but depending on the intensity, it might turn into a severe cyclone,” meteorologist Abdul Manan told the Dhaka Tribune.
Signal No 7 has also been hoisted in the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Feni and Chandpur.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
