CHATTOGRAM, July 7: Chattogram was brought to a standstill on Tuesday after recording 412 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours, the second-highest since records began, triggering severe waterlogging, disrupting rail and air services, and leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the port city recorded 412mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until 3pm on Tuesday. The only higher 24-hour rainfall on record was 511mm on August 4, 1983.
The torrential rain, coupled with a high tide, inundated large parts of the city, submerging major roads, railway tracks and low-lying neighbourhoods. Waterlogging was reported in Halishahar, Agrabad, Katalganj, Panchlaish, Chawkbazar, Rampur, Jamalkhan, Kathgor, Kapasgola and several other areas.
Most canals overflowed, spilling water onto roads. Authorities opened sluice gates at noon in an effort to speed up drainage, but the unusually high tide prevented rainwater from flowing into canals, rivers and the sea, worsening the flooding.
Heavy rain also flooded the ground floors of many houses in Katalganj, while part of a bypass road in Patenga collapsed.
Rail communication on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar route was disrupted after tracks between Sholoshahar and Jan Ali Hat went underwater. The Cox's Bazar-bound Tourist Express remained stranded at Jan Ali Hat station, while the Probal Express from Cox's Bazar was halted at Dohazari station for several hours, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Passenger Kamal Uddin said the trains could not move because floodwater had submerged the railway tracks, causing prolonged suffering for travellers.
Chattogram Railway Station Master Abujafar Majumder said services were suspended after the tracks went underwater but expressed hope that operations would resume once the water receded.
Air services were also affected as three flights were diverted to Dhaka after failing to land at Shah Amanat International Airport due to adverse weather.
Airport Public Relations Officer Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil said flights operated by US-Bangla Airlines from Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia from Sharjah and Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Dhaka were unable to land. He added that wind speeds reached 80-90km/h, delaying almost all other flights by between 30 minutes and one hour.
Rain has lashed the port city since Sunday, with meteorologists attributing Tuesday's extensive flooding to exceptionally heavy rainfall coinciding with high tide.
