At least 85 people, including six army personnel and children, were killed and three went missing in separate incidents of hillslides triggered by heavy rains in Bandarban, Chittagong and Rangamati districts early Tuesday.
Fifty-eight of them were killed in Rangamati alone while 23 in Chittagong and four in Bandarban district, report UNB correspondents.
In Rangamati, at least 58 people, including six army personnel, were killed and 56 injured in different incidents of landslide early in the morning.
Of them, 24 were killed in Sadar upazila, 15 in Kaukhali and nine in Kaptai upazila of the district, Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati Mohammad Manzarul Mannan said at a press briefing at his office.
He said four of the army personnel were identified as Major Mahfuz, Captain Tanvir, Corporal Aziz, Sepoy Shaheen. The army personnel met the tragedy while carrying out rescue operation in Manikchhari area of the district.
Syed Tariqul Hasan, superintendent of police (SP) of Rangamati, said the bodies of 10 people have been kept in Sadar Hospital. The death toll may rise further, the SP added.
In Bandarban, four people, including three minor siblings, were killed and a woman and her daughter went missing in separate incidents of hillslide.
The deceased were identified as Mitu Barua, 5, Shuvo Barua, 3, and Lata Barua, 2, children of Lal Mohon Barua of Lebujhiripara, and Reba Tripura, resident of Kalaghata in Sadar upazila.
Fire Service sources said the incident occurred early in the morning when a large chunk of mud collapsed on their house while they were asleep.
Besides, Kamrun Nahar and her daughter, Supriya, went missing in another hillslide in Lebujhiripara area.
Road communications between Rangamati-Bandarban and Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar-Bandarban remained suspended as many roads went under gushing hill water.
In Chittagong, 23 people, including three minors, were killed in hillslides at remote Dopachhari union in Chandanaish and Rangunia upazilas early in the morning.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Rangunia Mustafa Kamal said 19 people were killed in the upazila.
“The details about the deceased could not yet be known as communication with the area has been snapped following hillslides on the road,” said Imtiaj Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Rangunia Police Station.
“We’ve heard that four people were killed in Dopachhari union but no one of us or fire service could reach there as it’s an inaccessible place,” said Gazi Md Shakhawat Hossain, Chandanaish Police Station OC.
However, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said 39 people, including six army personnel, were killed in landslides in the three districts.
“Many more victims might have got trapped. A total of 18 shelter homes have been opened in the hill areas and some 4,500 people have taken shelter there,” said the minister while talking to reporters at the Secretariat today.
Already the government has sent relief materials, including 500 tonnes of rice and Tk 12 lakh cash, to the affected areas. An amount of Tk 20,000 each was given to the deceased family while Tk 10,000 each to those injured in the incidents.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at the casualties caused by hillslides.
— Dhaka, UNB
