Landslides in Cox’s Bazar Claim Six Lives Amid Heavy Rains

In Cox’s Bazar, six people were killed in two landslides due to continuous heavy rains. Among them are three in the Ukhia Rohingya camp and three in Cox’s Bazar.

A landslide occurred in Palangkhali Hakim Para Rohingya Camp No. 14 of Ukhia and Dakshin Dikkul district in Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Parishad in the early hours of Friday (September 13).

The deceased in the camp are Abdur Rahim, a resident of Palongkhali Camp 14 Block E-2 of Ukhia, his two children Abdul Hafeez (10) and Abdul Wahad (4). Apart from this, Mizanur Rahman’s wife Akhi Moni of Dakshin Dikkul of Sadar Upazila and her two daughters Miha Jannat Naima and Latifa Islam.

Camp Majhi Kabir Ahmed said, the rain started in torrents from Thursday afternoon and continued in the evening. The house of Abdur Rahim, a resident of Palangkhali Camp 14 E-2 Block, collapsed when the hill collapsed early Friday morning due to heavy rain. Everyone in the house was shocked. Abdur Rahim and his two children died.

Officer in charge (OC) of Ukhia police station Shamim Hossain said that three members of the same family died in a mountain fall in Gwersyll-14 due to heavy rain. The police have been sent to the scene. But moving is difficult because of heavy rain.

Jhelongja UP Chairman Tipu Sultan said that the locals heard a loud noise of a landslide from the direction of Mizan’s house during heavy rain on Friday morning. Later, they saw that Mizan’s family had been crushed into their own family. Mizan was immediately rescued alive. Later in the morning, the bodies of the woman and two little girls were found with the help of the Cox’s Bazar fire brigade.

Additional Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Relief and Return Commission office, Shamsud Dauza Nayan, said three houses were destroyed by a landslide in Ukhia No. 14 Hakim Para Rohingya camp due to heavy rain. Three members of the same family have died. In addition, three other people died on the hill next to the city.

Assistant Meteorologist Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office Abdul Hannan said 378 millimeters of rain was recorded in Cox’s Bazar in 24 hours from 6am on Thursday to 6am on Friday. And from Thursday 12 noon to Friday 12 noon, the 24 hour rainfall was recorded as 453 mm. This is the highest rainfall in a single day during the ongoing season. Due to the low pressure created in the Bay of Bengal, warning signal number three has been issued. Rain may continue for a few more days. There is also the possibility of landslides.

Photo: Syed Alamgir