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Cyclone Deaths in Bangladesh, May 1985: Who Was At Risk

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

A. K. Siddique  and
A. Euosof
A. K. Siddique
Affiliation:
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A. Euosof
Affiliation:
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Summary

In May 1985, a cyclone from the Bay of Bengal struck the coastal islands of Bangladesh. In spite of early detection of atmospheric turbulance and the history of severe cyclones in the area, an estimated 11,000 people lost their lives.

In a natural experiment, cyclone death rates from the two severely affected islands, Urir Char and Sandwip, were analyzed to determine the risk factors of cyclone-associated mortality.

In Urir Char, in which no cyclone shelters existed, the study group lost 40 percent of the family members in contrast to 3.4 percent from Sandwip, where at least eight cyclone shelters existed. Individuals who did not seek shelter were at the highest risk. Barriers in seeking safety were physical as well as behavioral. Easy access to shelters was a significant factor in reducing the risk. Deaths could have been averted through improved timing and method of advance warning.

Type
Papers from the Second International Assembly on Emergency Medical Services: Focus on Disasters, Baltimore, Maryland, April, 1986
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 2 , Issue 1-4: Contributions from the Second International Assembly on Emergency Medical Services-Focus on Disaster, Baltimore, Md., USA, 1986 and 4th World Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine Brighton, U.K. June, 1985 , 1986 , pp. 56 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1986

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References

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