COX'S BAZAR, June 06: At least 10 people, including eight Rohingya refugees, were killed and several others injured after heavy rain triggered a series of landslides in Rohingya camps and nearby areas of Cox's Bazar early Tuesday, exposing the continued vulnerability of thousands living on unstable hillsides.
The incidents occurred between 1:30 am and 3:30 am on Monday night at Rohingya camps 7, 11 and 15 in Ukhiya, as well as in the Sattar Ghona area of Ward No-12 under Cox's Bazar municipality and Pekua Upazila.
Following the deadly landslides, Rohingya refugees and local residents alleged that authorities failed to take adequate preventive measures despite the recurring risk of such disasters. They claimed that official action only intensifies after fatalities occur.
The administration, however, said it had repeatedly warned residents through public announcements to move to safer locations.
Heavy rainfall also inundated around 50 villages and low-lying areas, including Samity Para, Kutubdia Para, Eidgaon Upazila Bazaar, the district hospital and land office areas in Cox's Bazar town, as well as Sabrang and Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf. Local residents fear that nearly 20,000 families living on vulnerable hillsides across the district, along with around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, remain at high risk of landslides.
The district administration said that it has taken the highest level of preparedness to deal with the ongoing heavy rainfall and possible disasters. Officials have been instructed to evacuate residents from high-risk areas to safer shelters.
Dollar Tripura, an official of the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence Station, said members of the fire service, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Rohingya volunteers conducted overnight rescue operations after receiving reports of the landslides.
The deceased were identified as Kamal Hossain, 44, his wife Humayra Begum, 39, and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas from Block D-6 of Rohingya Camp 15 in Palongkhali Union; Ekram, 7, son of Mohammad Rashid from Block D-7 of Kutupalong Camp 7; and Umme Habiba, 27, her sister Tanzina Akter, 13, Mohammad Rihan, 5, and Harunur Rashid, 3, from Block C-11 of Balukhali Camp 11.
Fire Service, police and local sources said 10 members of one family were buried when a hillside collapsed onto their shelter at Camp 15 around 1:30 am. Three members of the family died. Within the next hour, another landslide killed seven-year-old Ekram at Camp 7, while four members of the same family died in Camp 11.
In a separate incident at Sattar Ghona in Cox's Bazar municipality, Ali Akbar died after being rescued and taken to hospital. Several other people were injured. On the other hand, a child named Minhaj, 6, tragically died in a landslide during heavy rains in Toitong Union of Pekua Upazila of Cox's Bazar on Monday around 4pm. An elderly woman named Jannatul Ferdous, 65, was seriously injured in the incident.
Local said that at least eight of the 33 Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf are considered highly vulnerable to landslides. More than 100,000 refugees live in makeshift shelters built along hill slopes and at the base of hills. Every monsoon season, prolonged heavy rainfall increases the risk of deadly landslides, causing deaths, injuries and widespread damage.
