DHAKA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Unofficial death toll over cyclone in Bangladesh has risen to 163, private television channel Ntv reported Friday.

    But official television BTV Friday put the death toll at 57 without giving details.

    The government related departments are working round the clock to collect the figure of casualties.

    Cyclone Sidr ripped through the coastal zones of Bangladesh, leaving a trail of devastation behind, southern residents said early Friday.

    The storm caused by cyclone downed thousands of trees and damaged many houses in the coastal area.

    The cyclone measured more powerful than what happened in 1991 that killed 140,000 people, a top weather official was quoted by private news agency BDnews24 as saying.

    Local media reported almost all the coastal areas are affected in Bangladesh and the death toll will go up.

    Because of the cyclone, electricity and telephone have been disconnected since midnight in some places including capital Dhaka.

Backgrounder: Over 80 cyclones ravage Bangladesh in 131 years


    DHAKA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's coasts have been hit by over 80 cyclones in the past 131 years since 1876, killing about 2million people and making many more millions homeless, meteorologists said. Full story

    DHAKA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- A powerful cyclone with strong winds started pounding on Bangladesh's south and southwestern coast from Thursday evening.

    Officials engaged in evacuation from remote offshore islands said winds with a speed of 100 to 130 kph started lashing their areas ahead of impending attack by the super severe Cyclone "SIDR".

    The officials said the eye of the SIDR with a wind speed of 200-220 kph is likely to hit the coastal belt of Khulna and Barisal within hours. Full story