Super cyclone 'Mocha' struck the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts on Sunday, reaching Category-5 strength and resulting in severe damage along the southeastern coastlines. Over 500,000 individuals residing in low-lying areas were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The death toll from Cyclone Mocha has risen, with 29 fatalities reported as communication is gradually being restored in western Myanmar. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in Bangladesh, but the cyclone destroyed numerous makeshift shelters in Cox's Bazar.
Officials reported on Monday that super cyclone 'Mocha' caused damage to at least 236 houses and eight refugee camps in various areas of Mizoram. The powerful winds affected a total of 5,749 individuals across more than 50 villages on Sunday. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any fatalities resulting from the cyclone.
According to residents, a relief group, and a local media report, a significant number of Rohingya Muslims lost their lives in Western Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha hit the region over the weekend. Two residents and a local non-governmental organization called Partners informed Reuters that the cyclone resulted in extensive destruction and numerous casualties. Myanmar Now, a media outlet, reported that there were 22 fatalities in Rohingya communities, as stated by residents.
On Monday, as communication was gradually being restored in western Myanmar, the death toll from Cyclone Mocha increased, with 29 people reported as deceased. Cyclone Mocha, the most significant storm to hit the Bay of Bengal in over ten years, made landfall between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Myanmar's Sittwe. It brought winds reaching up to 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour. Fortunately, the storm had largely subsided by late Sunday, sparing the refugee camps that house nearly a million Rohingya in Bangladesh. Officials confirmed that there were no casualties in those areas.
According to a Rohingya camp leader who spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about reprisals from the junta, twenty-four individuals lost their lives in the Khaung Doke Kar village tract located northwest of Sittwe. In addition, there were fears that several others were missing in the low-lying area, which includes Rohingya villages and IDP camps. Footage from AFP revealed destroyed wooden fishing boats scattered near the shore. The military junta had previously announced that at least five people had been killed in Myanmar, with "some residents" sustaining injuries, but no further information was provided.
According to reports, over 860 houses and 14 hospitals or clinics have suffered damage throughout the country. As of Monday, communication in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, remained unreliable. Sittwe, with a population of approximately 150,000, was heavily impacted by the cyclone, as indicated by cyclone trackers. AFP correspondents observed that hundreds of people who sought refuge in higher areas were making their way back to the city, encountering roads strewn with trees, pylons, and power cables. In Sittwe, deserted streets were marked by low-hanging power pylons and leafless trees that still remained standing.
According to a local rescue worker named Ko Lin Lin, at least five people had lost their lives in the city, and approximately 25 individuals had sustained injuries. It remains unclear whether any of these individuals were included in the death toll mentioned in the junta's statement.