Staff Reporter :
The death toll from severe flooding across 11 districts in the eastern region of the country has tragically climbed to 59, with one person still missing and nearly 696,995 families stranded by the disaster.
The count of fatalities had stood at 54 as of Friday.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the victims include 41 men, six women, and 12 children.
The casualties include 23 in Feni, 14 in Cumilla, six in Chattogram, one in Khagrachari, eight in Noakhali, one in Brahmanbaria, one in Lakshmipur, three in Cox’s Bazar, and one in Moulvibazar. Efforts to locate the missing individual continue.
The report notes that flood conditions in Chattogram, Habiganj, Sylhet, Khagrachari, and Cox’s Bazar have returned to normal. The situation in Moulvibazar and Brahmanbaria has improved, while Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur are experiencing gradual improvements.
The devastating floods have caused severe hardship, particularly among the impoverished populations. Many families are facing significant losses, including damaged homes and lost livelihoods. Those living in vulnerable areas have borne the brunt of the disaster, with their already limited resources stretched even thinner. The floodwaters have destroyed crops, disrupted access to clean water, and hindered essential services, leaving many without basic necessities.
Relief efforts are in full swing, with 56 medical teams deployed across the affected districts to provide essential healthcare services. Despite these efforts, the road to recovery remains long and arduous, as communities work to rebuild from the extensive damage caused by the flooding.
In the villages of South Maniknagar, North Maniknagar, Khanebari Gobindpur, and Kolakandi in Titas Upazila of Cumilla, as well as Jahapur village in Muradnagar Upazila, the floodwaters have receded somewhat, yet the villagers are still enduring significant hardship.
Residents of South Maniknagar, Dilbar Nessa, Sufia Begum, and Hawa Begum, reported that since last Saturday, they have been living in a shelter, wearing the same clothes for eight days, and eating only the dry food provided by volunteers.
“Last Saturday, the water level in our courtyard was up to our knees, and today it has receded to just above our knees,” one resident recounted.
Residents of the flood affected areas found their homes devastated by the floodwaters, with everything inside ruined. The kitchen and fuel supplies were in terrible condition. The residents have been staying at the local Harikandi Government Primary School shelter, subsisting on dry food, and it will take more time before they can return to their homes.
In Feni, there has been an outbreak of diarrhoea following the floods. Both government and private hospitals are seeing a surge in diarrhoea patients, with some receiving treatment at home. Doctors report that 90 per cent of the affected patients are children.
The Feni General Hospital, which has a capacity of 250 beds, has only 18 beds in its diarrhoea ward. However, as of 1 PM on Friday, there were 156 diarrhoea patients which is eight times the number of available beds. Even the hospital’s nurses have been affected by the outbreak. The total number of patients at the hospital, including those with diarrhoea, was 468 yesterday.
Dr Asif Iqbal, the hospital’s resident medical officer, stated, “The incidence of diarrhoea has increased following the flood, with children being the most affected.” The outbreak is believed to be related to contaminated drinking water and food. To accommodate the high number of diarrhoea patients, additional beds have been set up on the floor of the ward.
Heavy rainfall and mountain runoff from India caused the Gomti River to swell on 23 August. In Burichong Upazila of Cumilla, the riverbanks in the Buraburia area were inundated. To protect the nearby villages, a road embankment was constructed along the riverbank. However, on the night of 23 August, the force of the water breached the embankment, flooding several hundred villages in the upazila.
Residents scrambled to seek refuge in safer places, clinging to their lives. The terror of that night is still evident on the faces of the villagers.
On the night of the Gomti River embankment breach, over a thousand local families sought refuge in the safe parts of the embankment. Although many have since returned to their homes, over a hundred families still remain at the embankment.