6 killed in Bandarban landslide

At least six people including five of a family were killed and four others injured in a landslide at Lama Upazila in Bandarban early today.

The deceased are Bashir, 55, his daughter Rozina Aktar, 30, son Sagor, 18, grandson Sazzad Hossain, 4, granddaughter Fatema Begum, 8, and a neighbor Amena Begum, 32, our local correspondent reports quoting Khaled Mahmud, upazila nirbahi officer of Lama upazila.

Earth from a hill, soaked in incessant rain, broke loose and fell upon five houses in Lama Hospital para around 1:30am, leaving the six dead on the spot and four injured, the UNO said.

On information, firefighters, police and local people rushed there and recovered the bodies. The injured were sent to Lama Upazila Health Complex as their condition deteriorated.

Around 100 settlers were living there defying warning of the possible landslide given by the upazila administration, the government official added.

Kyaw Shwe Hla, chairman of Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC), visited the spot and announced to give Tk 70,000 to the victims’ families.

In 2012, a similar incident left at least 27 people killed in Faitong area of the same upazila.

Around 50,000 people in the hill district are living at the feet of hills and hill slopes shrugging off their lives’ risks, the official said.