Storm lashes Bangladesh, thousands of homes damaged

DHAKA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A tropical storm with winds of up to 80 kph (50 mph) lashed southern Bangladesh early on Monday, damaging thousands of homes, officials said.

Casualty figures were not immediately available, but rescuers said the storm brought down electrical and telephone poles and uprooted trees.

Storms batter the poor south Asian country every year. Cyclone Sidr ravaged the coast last November, killing nearly 3,500 people and displacing some two million.

(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed; Editing by Jeremy Laurence) (nizamuddin.ahmed@thomsonreuters.com; +880-2-8330123; Reuters Messaging: nizamuddin.ahmed.reuters.com@reuters.net))