Bangladesh ? A cyclone packing 150 mph winds slammed Bangladesh’s southeast coast late Thursday, killing at least 41 people and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes, officials said.

Cyclone Sidr leveled numerous homes as it sent driving rains and high waves across the lowland coastal areas before weakening to a tropical storm by Friday morning, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

Local government officials across the region said that at least 41 people had been killed, mainly from collapsing homes and falling debris, and 650,000 people had been evacuated.