August 8, 2023
DHAKA – At least 6 people including four from the Rohingya community were killed in three separate landslides in Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar today.
Authorities fear that the death toll might increase as torrential rain and gusty wind are causing flash floods and landslides across the region.
The Rohingyas were killed in two incidents of landslides at the Ukhiya refugee camp and Alikalam upazila of Bandarban.
In the Ukhiya camp, a Rohingya mother and her two-year-old daughter were killed when a landslide hit their home in the evening.
Jannat Ara, 35, wife Anwar Hossain and her daughter Mahiya Bibi, 2, died at camp 9, said Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman.
Earlier, at noon, two Rohingya labourers died in a landslide while cutting a hill in Bandarban’s Alikadam.
They are identified as Chobi Rahman, 16, and Mohammad Musa, 17. They were residents of Ukhiya Rohingya camp 14 and 15 respectively.
Quoting the family members, the RRRC confirmed that they went to Alikadam upazila as labourers on Wednesday.
Their bodies were being taken to the camp, he said.
In Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar, two children were killed when the wall of the house collapsed on them around 4:00pm today.
The incident occurred in the Boroghona area, a remote hilly place of Boroitola union of the upazila, confirmed Upazila Nirbahi Office JP Chakma.
The wall of their house collapsed because of a landslide, he said.
The deceased were the children of one Anwar Hossain and no other details are not available immediately, he added.
Atotal of 119 landslides occurred in the camps and over 1500 shelters were completely or partly damaged due to the natural calamity, while 90 Rohingyas were relocated to safer places from the risky areas, said Mizanur Rahman.