Cyclone Remal kills 16, snaps power links to millions

Remal smashed coastal dists

Strong gales and heavy rain brought by cyclone Remal lashed the coastlines of India and Bangladesh on Monday, with the storm killing at least 16 people and cutting electricity supply to millions before losing intensity.
The cyclone is the first this year of the frequent storms that have pounded the low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours in recent years, as climate change drives up surface temperatures at sea.
Packing speeds of up to 135 kph (84 mph), it crossed the area around Bangladesh’s southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India’s West Bengal late on Sunday, weather officials said, making landfall at about 9pm (1530 GMT) before weakening on Monday morning.
The official death toll mounted in both countries as information arrived from coastal regions.
At least 10 people lost their lives in Bangladesh, disaster management chief Mijanur Rahman told reporters, without providing details.