6 killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide, rain

Two people have been killed in monsoon rain-triggered fresh landslide while bodies of four persons, who were washed away on Thursday, found in Cox’s Bazar.

Masuda Khatun, 45, and his daughter Shahana Akter, 13, of Baharchhara union in Teknaf upazila died when a chunk of earth soaked by heavy rainfall fell on their houses during the early hours today, our Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports quoting Md Zahangir Alam, district relief and rehabilitation officer.

Meanwhile, bodies of four people were found in Ramu and Chokoria upazilas last night and today.   

The four are identified as Kamrun Nahar, 20, and Tarika Hasnat, 4, of Garjania village in Ramu upazila;  and Shafiul Alam, 30, of Dulahazara village, and Kaital Bin Rahim, 14, of Kakara village in Chokoria upazila, local police confirmed to our correspondent.

They are among the five missing people who were washed away while going to take shelter to their nearby cyclone centre during heavy rainfall Thursday afternoon, according to police.

Locals suspected that another missing named Anowar Hossain of Laukkarchar village in Ramu upazila might have died.

Meantime, local met office recorded 674 milimetres rainfall in 60 hours till Friday 6:00pm, which is the four-decade highest in the district where 10 people were killed in rain-related incidents yesterday, said meteorologist AKM Najmul Haque.

And the rain will continue for the next two days more, he added.

Local administration allocated 150 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 11 lakh for the affected people. The authorities decided this afternoon that they will hand over Tk 20,000 to the family of the each  dead victims, Acting Deputy Commissioner Anupam Saha said.

Many people are now marooned by the flooded water in all upazilas of the district while about one lakh people took shelter in the cyclone centres, he added.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Pekua and Chakaria are badly affected by rain since Thursday.

Apart from this, the route of Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf marine drive has been blocked by the chunks of earth caused by landslide today.