Movement of waterway vessels in Barisal closed

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BARISAL, June 17 (UNB): Waterway transport operation in Barisal region is being severely disrupted as launch movement on all the 33 routes has nearly halted since Saturday morning for inclement weather following the onset of monsoon in the country.
Port sources said the port authorities Friday night issued embargo on the operation of all motor launches on 28 inland routes and 5 routes in the coastal areas in the region 'until further notice'.
Port officer Saiful Islam and river-traffic inspector of Barisal BIWTA Abdul Malek said the order was given after cautionary weather signal No 2 was flagged for regional maritime ports while warning signal No 3 for seaports.
Rakibul Hassan, observer of Barisal weather office, said they recorded 77 ml rainfall from 6.0 am Saturday to 6.0 am Sunday.
Meanwhile, heavy downpour for the last three days caused untold sufferings to the city-dwellers and inhabitants on its outskirts.
Severe water logging at several points of the low-lying area forced many people to stay home.
Miseries of the day-labourers, who depend on their daily income, know no bounds as they could not go to work due to the torrential rain.
Another report from Sylhet said: Vast low-lying areas of the district were inundated due to rise of water level in the rivers caused by heavy rain and onrush of hill waters from across the border.
Standing crops went under water in various low-lying areas of Goainghat, Companiganj, Kanaighat, Jointapur and Golapganj uapzilas.
Sources said 30 per cent standing crops went under floodwaters in Goainghat Upazila. The worst affected unions of the upazila are Purbo Jaflong, Paschim Jaflong, Lengura, Alirgao, Fatehpur, Nandirgao, Toakul and Rustumpur union.
About 20,000 quarry workers in Jaflong and Bisnakandi have become unemployed due to the flash flood.
Several thousand people of Chadbodi haor, Nainda haor, Ambari haor areas remained marooned.
The Surma river was flowing 67cm above the danger level Sunday morning.
Under the influence of active monsoon over the country, "heavy to very heavy" rainfall is likely at places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions in the next 12 hours from 2.00 pm Sunday, said a Met Office forecast.
Another report adds from Comilla: A tornado swept over a frontier village in Brahmanpara Upazila Sunday morning amid an inclement monsoon weather across the country, leaving a baby boy dead and at least 10 people injured.
Local sources said the tornado also hit Sonamura and Rahimpur villages in Tripura State of India, killing one and injuring a number of other people.
The violent storm lashed Ramchandrapur village in Brahmanpara Upazila and damaged a number of houses.
The twister blew off the house of Zakir, killing his 28-day-old baby Zubayer and injuring him, his wife and three daughters.