Landslides death toll climbs to 137 in Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong

At least 98 people were killed in Rangamati, 33 in Chittagong and six in Bandarban.The death toll could rise further.

At least 137 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 said 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, said Nezarat Deputy Collector (NDC) Taposh Shil.

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.

33 killed in Chittagong

Landslides killed 33 people in Rangunia, Chandanaish, Banshkhali and Raozan upazilas of Chittagong.

The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Rafiqul Hassan Bhuiyan, office assistant of district administration office’s Control room, said: “Thirty-three deaths have been reported in the district till Wednesday morning.”

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.

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

Six others die in Bandarban

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

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