Cyclone Amphan: the Bay of Bengal on the front line

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India and Bangladesh are preparing for the passage of one of the most powerful cyclones in recent years. Cyclone Amphan was blowing in recent hours at 185km / h in gusts and must touch the very populated city of Calcutta. Evacuation is made even more complex due to Covid-19 disease prevention measures.

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With our correspondent in New Delhi, Sébastien Farcis

On the coasts of Bengal, the waves hit violently on the dikes and the trees started to fall. Indian authorities are very concerned about the rare power of this super cyclone Amphan, one of the most violent to blow in the Bay of Bengal in twenty years.

Thousands of homes could collapse

All along the coast and in Calcutta in particular, which has a population of fifteen million, thousands of houses could collapse and residents are displaced urgently. In all, 400,000 people have been evacuated to India since Tuesday.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic halted these efforts: some of the evacuation centers were used as quarantine sites. And even when there are spaces available, they must be used at half their capacity to allow a good distance between people.

Vulnerable populations

The cyclone is expected to hit the coast of Bengal in the evening, gusting to 185km / h and then continue to Bangladesh. The winds will then be less violent but the density of population in this poor country and the poor condition of the houses make the population very vulnerable to these bad weather.

Read also : India and Bangladesh prepare for the arrival of the powerful cyclone Amphan

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