Full damages unknown: Cyclone Mocha slams Myanmar & Bangladesh

An intense cyclone made landfall in Myanmar on Sunday, leaving multiple casualties with the full extent of the damage unknown.

Cyclone Mocha hit the Myanmar city of Sittwe, Rakhine with sustained speeds of around 130 mph, destroying much of the western city, according to local reports.

Hundreds of thousands of residents in Myanmar and also Bangladesh were evacuated ahead of the system’s arrival, which saw a peak wind intensity of 175 mph on Saturday, equivalent to a category 5 hurricane.

Buildings and infrastructure have been damaged by Mocha, including telecommunication towers, cutting contact with the worst hit areas.

Torrential rainfall also produced heavy floods joined by strong storm surges in coastal locations. At present, six casualties have been confirmed locally.

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, home to a significant population of refugees, was largely spared, although many of the tents and huts were damaged. Forecasted storm paths initially saw a larger impact here.

The United Nations’ World Food Programme announced a support package of food and medical supplies to support the hard-hit Rakhine region over the next month.

After reaching land, Mocha began to weaken and has now largely dissipated.

It became one of the strongest systems to hit Myanmar since Cyclone Nargis in 2008 which resulted in an estimated 140,000 casualties, becoming one of the deadliest weather events in history.