Abstract
The objectives of this paper are to examine the extent of human injuries caused by Cyclone Sidr, which made landfall in Bangladesh coast on November 15, 2007, and report on the circumstances, type and causes of injuries, along with selected risk factors associated with such injuries. Relevant data was collected through a questionnaire survey administered among the cyclone victims. Semi-structured interviews with key personnel were also conducted to obtain information regarding the circumstances causing injuries and public response to care for the injured. The questionnaire survey data reveals that among the respondent families, 132 persons sustained various types of injuries. Since the respondent families comprised of 1,443 members, the injury rate was 9.15%. All injured victims were treated either onsite or in local hospitals. The most common types of injuries were soft-tissue injuries (cuts, bruises, and scrapes) and fracture/dislocations. The most common causes of injuries for survivors were associated with falling trees. Analysis of risk factors reveals that age is significantly correlated with injuries. Both formal and informal interviews suggest that injured persons and their family members were in general pleased with medical response they received from various sources. Several recommendations have been suggested to reduce future cyclone-related injuries in Bangladesh.
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Acknowledgments
I wish to thank the Natural Hazards Center at the University Colorado-Boulder, CO; Dean’s Office, College of Arts and Sciences and Provost Office, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS for funding this study. I also like to thank Munshi Khaledur Rahman and Bankim Rakhit for participating in the field survey in Bangladesh and Dr. Abdur Rob, Chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Selvaratnam Sinnadurai, Head of Delegation of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for their support in collecting relevant information for this study. Special thanks to the referees for their very helpful feedback and insights. For preparing a map for this paper, I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Mitchel Stimers and Andrews Keela, both graduate students of geography at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506.
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Paul, B.K. Human injuries caused by Bangladesh’s cyclone sidr: an empirical study. Nat Hazards 54, 483–495 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-009-9480-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-009-9480-2