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                 Cyclone Weakens After Crossing Into Bangladesh

   by VOA News

   A cyclone crossed into Bangladesh Thursday, forcing the evacuation of
   roughly one million people and causing dozens of casualties before
   weakening into a tropical storm over land.

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

   The storm caused minimal damage in neighboring Burma, but French news
   agency AFP 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, had
   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.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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   angladesh/1662440.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/cyclone-weakens-after-crossing-into-bangladesh/1662440.html