Landslides kill 129 in Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong

At least 127 people including several officers and members of the army have been killed in landslides triggered by torrential rain in Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong districts.

98 dead in Rangamati

As of 10:40pm, 98 people were reported dead in Rangamati alone. Of them, 53 were killed in Sadar, 23 in Kawkhali, 18 in Kaptai, and two each in the Bilaichhari and Jurachhari upazilas.

Several army officers and soldiers are among the victims of the landslides in the district.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Lt Col Rashedul Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that an army team was clearing mud from a landslide from a link road in Manikchhari in the morning when another landslide occurred.

“Several officers and members of the army have been killed and suffered injuries in the incident,” he added.

He, however, could not ascertain the number of casualties.

Of the deceased in Rangamati, 10 were identified as Un Ching Marma, 32, her daughter Mithui Marma, 12, Ruma Aktar, Nuri Aktar, Johra Begum, Sonali Chakma, Amit Chakma, Ayush Mallik, Liton Mallik, and Chumki Das.

Rangamati Sadar Hospital’s Civil Surgeon Dr Shaheed Talukdar and Additional Deputy Commissioner Abu Shaheed Chowdhury confirmed the number of causalities.

The district administration will make a list of the affected families and provide financial aids as per the list, Nezarat Deputy Collector (NDC) Taposh Shil said.

Members of fire service, army and police are conducting rescue operations.

The district administration has asked people living in risky hill areas to move to safer places.

An emergency monitoring cell has been opened at the deputy commissioner’s office.

25 killed in Chittagong

Landslides killed 25 people in Rangunia and Chandanaish upazilas of Chittagong.

Chittagong District Administration Executive Magistrate Hasan Bin Ali told the Dhaka Tribune that 21 people were killed in Rajanagar and Islampur unions of Rangunia.

The magistrate said a further four people died in a landslide in Chandanaish.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Chandanaish police station Officer-in-Charge Farid Uddin said the incidents took place in Shamakchhari and Chandainna – remote areas of the upazila.

Chittagong district administration has formed two teams led by two executive magistrates to avoid further incidents of landslides. They will evict people living at risky spots near the hills.

The district administration said it would allocate Tk25,000 and Tk5,000 for the the families of the deceased and the injured respectively.

However, until late Tuesday night, there was no accurate figure about the people who were injured in the disaster in the district.

In Chittagong city, two others were killed in a wall collapse and lightning.

6 others die in Bandarban

In Bandarban, six people were killed and five others injured in landslides in on early Tuesday, sadar police station chief Rafiq Ullah told the Dhaka Tribune.

Balaghata, Lemujhiri Para and Agapara areas were hit by landslides around 2:30am, locals said.

The deceased are Reba Tripura, 24, Lota Borua, 7, Mia Borua, 5, Shubho Borua, 4, Kamrun Nahar, 40, and Supriya Begum, 8.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep shock at the loss of lives in the fatal landslide.

Source: dhakatribune