Cyclone Bulbul kills 14 in India and Bangladesh

New Delhi-Sana

The death toll from cyclone Bulbul that hit India and Bangladesh has risen to 14.

Cyclone Bulbul killed seven people in India's West Bengal state, the Press Trust of India reported.

A previous death toll had indicated two people were killed by the cyclone in India.

In turn, the United Bangladesh News Agency reported that seven people in Bangladesh were killed by the cyclone after an earlier toll of six people killed and 36 others missing.

Bangladesh's disaster management minister Inamur Rahman said the cyclone had damaged about 5,000 houses in coastal areas and more than 2 million people had been moved to more than 5,000 shelters.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of a surge of nearly two meters from the storms and several Bangladeshi navy and coast guard ships were on standby for emergency response.

Authorities suspended all activities in the country's ports, including Chittagong, where 80 percent of exports and imports are active and fishing boats have stopped.

Bangladesh, which has a population of 160 million, has had a history of violent cyclones, but preparations and precautionary preparations in recent years have helped authorities deal with natural disasters, reducing the number of casualties.