Four of a family killed in Sylhet hillock collapse

Four members of a family were killed after a hillock collapsed onto their house amid heavy rain in Sylhet's Golapganj upazila early today.

The deceased were identified as Riaz Uddin, 50, his wife Rahima Begum, daughter Samia Khatun, 15, and son Abbas Uddin, 13.

The incident occurred around 2:00am in Bakhtiarghat area under Lakshanaband Union of the upazila.

Confirming the incident, Golapganj Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Moniruzzaman Molla said the bodies were recovered later in the morning and handed over to their family members.

Lakshanaband Union Parishad Chairman Khalkur Rahman said heavy rainfall over the past few days had weakened the hillock beside the family's home, causing it to collapse during the night and bury them under mud and debris.

"Right after the incident, we informed the fire service and local administration. However, they couldn't reach the site in time. Residents were also unable to remove the mud given the risk of further landslides," said the chairman.

OC Moniruzzaman said, "Due to continuous rainfall, fallen trees and roadblocks delayed the arrival of the rescue teams despite receiving the alert immediately."