Cyclone kills at least five in India and Bangladesh
A powerful cyclone killed at least 5 people as it tore into eastern India and Bangladesh on Wednesday (May 20).
Authorities moved around 3 million people to safety in both countries this week.
The operation is complicated by efforts to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Cyclone Amphan carries winds gusting up to about 115 miles per hour, making it one of the strongest storms to hit the region in years.
It is moving inland through India's populous West Bengal state before hitting Bangladesh.
In West Bengal and neighboring Odisha, authorities have struggled to house evacuees as shelters were being used as quarantine centers.
Police said some people were unwilling to go to the shelters because they were afraid of being infected by COVID-19.
The Indian weather department said the storm surge could rise to around 15 foot in the Sundarbans delta...
...an area best known for thick mangrove forests that are critical for tigers and home to around 4.5 million people.
It warns that areas 6-12 miles from the coast could be inundated if the embankments are breached.
