Powerful cyclone hits Bangladesh

A cyclone that has been gaining strength in the Bay of Bengal and forced thousands to take shelter has hit southern Bangladesh.

Cyclone Bijli made landfall near the town of Cox's Bazar at about 1930 local time (1300GMT), an official said.

Wind speeds were estimated at up to 90km/h (55mph).

Thousands of relief workers in coastal areas of southern Bangladesh had been placed on high alert as the cyclone picked up speed.

Neighbouring Burma was also reported to be bracing for the storm.

Officials say the cyclone does not appear huge but they want people to be fully prepared if it gets worse.

"We have told everyone living in low-lying areas to head to their nearest cyclone shelter," local administrator Mohammad Manzoor Alam Bhuiyan told AFP news agency.

"We have arranged dry food and clean drinking water," he said. "There is a medical team on standby."

Coastal districts have been hit by medium to heavy rain since Thursday night.

The storm was expected to move away from Bangladesh early on Saturday.

Authorities in Cox's Bazar raised the storm warning to signal number six out of 10, while in Chittagong it stood at seven, Reuters reported.

Officials ordered fishing boats to return to shore and warned of heavy downpours, dangerous surf and high winds.

Flights at Chittagong and Cox's Bazar were suspended, while tourists had already left Cox's Bazar beach resort.

Cyclone shelters have been prepared to accommodate up to a million people along the nearby coast, one official said.

Storms and cyclones batter Bangladesh almost every year, killing many people and causing huge damage to crops and property.

A cyclone in April 1991 killed around 140,000 people, while Cyclone Sidr swept part of the coast in November 2007 killing around 3,000 people.