Dhaka - At least three people were reportedly killed as Cyclone Bijli swept over south-eastern part of the country Saturday, officials said.

The cyclone hit Bangladesh's coastal areas late Friday night and turned into a land depression the following morning.

Reports from southern tourism district of Cox's Bazar said three people were killed when their thatched homes collapsed and trees fell on them.

"There are reports coming in of damage of property and homes in the remote areas, we are still assessing the loss of property," Syedul Islam, an official at the disaster management ministry, said.

Several thousand inhabitants, who were evacuated from the islands in the Bay of Bengal, returned to their homes Saturday as the storm weakened. But fishing boats and trawlers in the northern Bay of Bengal had not yet gone back to sea. (dpa)