Bangladesh toll rises as threat of disease looms

The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Sidr continued to rise Sunday, as diarrhea, pneumonia and typhoid threatened to plague the southern coastal districts, which suffered the worst damage from the deadliest storm to hit this poor South Asian nation in more than a decade.

The Bangladeshi army, navy and other search and rescue teams struggled to hunt for additional bodies as survivors reeled from a lack of food, drinking water and power, officials said.

The United States and other nations offered assistance. Two U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships were on their way to Bangladesh to join the rescue and relief efforts, officials said.

The death toll had surpassed 2,000 by Sunday, according to Bangladeshi authorities. A private TV channel reported the figure at 3,079.

“The death figure will [continue to] go up,” said Ayub Miah, a disaster ministry official. “At this moment we can’t say exactly how many people still remained missing or the total extent of damage.”

The cyclone struck Thursday, wrecking villages and cutting communications and electric power. Its 150-mph winds and thrashing rains triggered blackouts across most of the country.

Brig. Gen. Abid Hossain, head of rescue operations, said from his post in Dhaka, the capital, that 3,000 soldiers as well as naval forces had been mobilized for rescue and relief efforts.

He said helicopters were airlifting food, water and medicine to survivors.

Tanvir Haider Siddiqui, police chief in the hard-hit Borguna coastal district, said that “many roads remained blocked with uprooted trees. We don’t know when the ferry service will be restored.”

In the Barisal district, “it was like a doomsday when the cyclone hit here,” said resident Mohammad Mamun. “My house totally collapsed. But my family members were safe, as they left home for cyclone shelter in advance.

“We can never forget the fury of such a cyclone.”