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Bangladesh Cleans Up After Cyclone


Bangladeshis rest at a cyclone shelter center ahead before Cyclone Mahasen made landfall in Chittagong, Bangladesh, May 16, 2013.
Bangladeshis rest at a cyclone shelter center ahead before Cyclone Mahasen made landfall in Chittagong, Bangladesh, May 16, 2013.
Bangladesh began cleaning up Friday in the aftermath of Cyclone Mahasen.

Mahasen has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it moves into northeastern India.

On Thursday, Cyclone Mahasen struck Bangladesh, forcing the evacuation of a million people and causing dozens of casualties before weakening over land into a tropical storm.

Authorities say the storm killed at least 14 people in Bangladesh, after bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.

The cyclone caused minimal damage in neighboring Burma. But the French news agency reported that authorities found the bodies of 22 Muslim Rohingya from Burma who were missing since their boat capsized Monday as they fled the oncoming cyclone. A police official told AFP those bodies were discovered on a beach near the Burmese border.

Mahasen, which languished over the Bay of Bengal for several days, has triggered fears of widespread damage. The United Nations warned that millions of people could face life-threatening situations.

Officials say tens of thousands of people sought refuge in evacuation shelters.

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