Scenes of destruction caused by Remal have begun to emerge in the country's coastal areas as people started to return home from shelters.

The death toll from the cyclone rose to 26 as 13 more deaths in seven districts over the last two days were reported yesterday.

The cyclone affected crops, uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, broke embankments and washed away fish enclosures, officials said.

The government agencies concerned could not complete the assessment of the loss of lives and damages to properties yesterday.

According to primary estimates, the damages to the fisheries sector is worth at least Tk 858 crore as nearly 50,000 fish enclosures were flooded.

Remal hit the Bangladesh coast on Sunday evening and stayed on Bangladesh territories for 34 hours before heading towards Assam. It affected 37 lakh people across the coastal region.

Thousands of people either had to take refuge at their neighbour's homes or spend nights under the open sky as nearly 1.5 lakh houses were damaged, report our correspondents from coastal areas.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Remal-hit areas in Patuakhali tomorrow, reports BSS.

The houses of Jennat Gazi and his son Sohrab Gazi were destroyed after a tree fell on those at Boro Auliapur village of Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

"We have now become homeless," said Jennat.

Suman Bhuiyan, a resident of Kauar Char in Kalapara upazila, said his two-storey tin-built house was flattened by the strong winds brought on by the cyclone on Sunday night.

"I along with my family members have taken shelter at my neighbour's home. I cannot rebuild my house as I don't have enough money," he said.

DEATH TOLL TOPS 26

Remal claimed 13 more lives in seven districts in the last two days.

In Pirojpur, five people were killed during the storm on Monday. Of them, a three-year-old child drowned in flood water, a woman died of electrocution and a man died after a tree fell on him in Bhandaria upazila.

Another 70-year-old man died of electrocution in Old Bus Station area of Pirojpur town on Monday morning.

A woman, aged about 65, died after a tree fell on her home at Bhepsabunia village of Indurkani upazila on Monday night.

In Narsingdi Sadar upazila, a couple was killed after bricks stacked beside their tin-built home slid and crushed the house in Nazarpur early yesterday.

A teenage boy drowned in flood water in Noakhali's Hatiya upazila yesterday morning when he was returning home from a shelter at Nijhum Dwip.

In Gazipur, a garment worker was electrocuted to death in Ulusua area of Kaliakoir upazila early yesterday.

A firefighter died of electrocution in Khagrachhari's Matiranga upazila early yesterday when he was removing uprooted trees in Alutila area.

In Bagerhat, a woman died after a tree fell on her on Monday.

A man died in Jhalakathi's Kathalia upazila after a tree collapsed on him on Monday morning.

In Barishal, a restaurant employee died after part of a brick wall fell on him in the divisional city's Rupatali area.

Earlier, 13 deaths were reported in seven coastal districts on Sunday and Monday.

1.73CR WITHOUT POWER

The power, energy and mineral resources ministry said around 1.73 crore people across the country were still without power yesterday.

According to official data, at least 3,833 electricity poles were damaged by the storm. Besides, many feeders, sub-stations, transformers, spans, and insulators were damaged.

Some 4.5 lakh customers of the West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd experienced power cuts during the cyclone. At least 1.44 lakh of them were waiting for restoration of power supply yesterday.

According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, around 20,000 cell towers across the country were still offline yesterday due to power outages.

DAMAGE TO FISHERIES

The fisheries and livestock ministry said they received reports from the field level till yesterday that the damage from Remal to the fisheries sector was worth Tk 858 crore as nearly 50,000 fish enclosures, 34,000 ponds and 4,000 crab farms were flooded during the cyclone.

In Patuakhali, at least 15,000 fish enclosures and ponds were flooded.

Lutfar Rahman Babul, a fish farmer at Char Kasem of Rangabali upazila, said, "All the fish from my enclosure at Char Kasem were washed away. The enclosure was destroyed by about 7 feet high tide.

"Cyclone Remal has ruined us. Almost everyone in the area has become helpless," he said.

Our correspondents from Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, and Noakhali contributed to this report.