Strong winds devastate Nazirartek dry fish hub as Cox's Bazar records 114mm rain in 24 hours
Storm damages 15-20 production sheds and shops at Nazirartek dry fish hub, while large quantities of fish are blown away or spoiled by rain.
Highlights:
- Nazirartek dry fish hub battered by strong winds around midnight
- At least 15-20 sheds and shops damaged, with fish blown away or soaked by rain
- Cox's Bazar records 114mm of rainfall in 24 hours until noon Tuesday
- Traders estimate losses at around Tk1 crore
Strong winds battered the Nazirartek dry fish hub in Cox's Bazar city around midnight, damaging 15-20 production sheds and shops and destroying large quantities of fish as the district recorded 114mm of rainfall in 24 hours.
Accompanied by heavy rain, the winds damaged at least 20 production sheds at the hub. Fish kept on drying racks and stored in warehouses were blown away or soaked by rainwater and spoiled.
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The storm hit Nazirartek last night (17 August), said Mohammad Abul Hannan, assistant meteorologist at the Cox's Bazar Meteorological Office.
He said a low-pressure system over the northwestern Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas had intensified, prompting authorities to issue local cautionary Signal No 3 for Cox's Bazar and other maritime ports.
Fishing trawlers operating along the Cox's Bazar coast have been advised not to venture into the deep sea until further notice, he added.
"Cox's Bazar recorded 114mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until 12pm today," Abul Hannan said. "Due to the low-pressure system, rain has continued for the past few days, while gusty winds of 40-50km/h have been blowing in some areas."
He said the ground at Nazirartek had already become soft due to the rain, making the structures more vulnerable to the strong winds.
Dry fish market owners and traders said the sudden storm caused extensive damage to the hub, with large quantities of dry fish blown away or damaged by rain. They estimated the losses at around Tk1 crore.
Ziaur Rahman, general secretary of the Nazirartek Fish Traders' Multipurpose Cooperative Society, said rain had continued intermittently throughout the night before heavy rain and strong winds suddenly hit the area around midnight.
"People suddenly saw the roofs of sheds at the dry fish market being blown away by the wind. In some places, roofs and fish kept on racks were also blown away," he said.
Nuru Hossain, a dry fish market owner, said the wind was so strong that some people initially thought an aircraft was taking off or landing at the nearby airport.
The extent of the damage became clear after dawn. Fish covered with polythene on racks for drying, including churi shutki, loittya, faissya, choikka faissya and popa, were scattered across the area, with some reportedly blown nearly half a kilometre away.
Business leaders said 15-20 sheds and shops were damaged to varying degrees, putting the total financial loss at around Tk1 crore. They urged the government to provide assistance to the affected traders.
The Nazirartek dry fish hub produces around 50,000-60,000 tonnes of different types of dry fish, including fish powder, each season, with an estimated market value of around Tk200 crore.
The dry fish produced at the hub meets domestic demand and is also exported.
Located about three kilometres from Cox's Bazar city, the Nazirartek dry fish hub has developed across nearly 100 acres of sandy land along the Bay of Bengal.
