The death toll from the collapse of a wall onto a girls' Hifz madrasa at Rohingya Camp-5 in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, has risen to five, officials said on Wednesday.
Four of the victims have been identified, while the identity of the fifth remains unknown.
The incident occurred around 2:00 pm after heavy rainfall caused a wall built along a hillside to collapse onto the madrasa, where around 30 Rohingya girls were attending classes.
Rescue operations, involving the Fire Service, camp authorities, members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Rohingya volunteers, continued until the evening before concluding.
Additional DIG Siraj Amin, commander of the 14 APBn responsible for camp security, identified four of the deceased as Rashida Begum (13), daughter of Hasim Ullah; Umme Nejatul (13) and Umme Salma (12), daughters of Abdus Shukur; and Umaisa Bibi (13), daughter of Md Ilias. All were residents of Camp-5.
Three other girls were admitted to Kutupalong Friendship Hospital with critical injuries. They are Asra Begum (9), daughter of Dil Mohammad of Camp-3; Begum Jan (15) daughter of Nurul Amin of F-1 Block in Camp-3; and Faresa Bibi (12), daughter of Bashir Ahmed of A-7 Block in Camp-5.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and Additional Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said 30 students had been rescued from the madrasa, five of whom were found dead.
He added that the wall, built along a hillside, collapsed onto the madrasa. Three injured girls are receiving treatment at Kutupalong Friendship Hospital.
According to Rohingya community leaders and police, heavy rain had been falling in the camps since morning. The wall collapsed onto the madrasa in the Mochar Bazar area of A-3 Block in Camp-5, trapping students under the debris. Local residents, APBn personnel, camp officials and volunteers rushed to the scene and carried out rescue operations.
The latest tragedy comes just two days after landslides triggered by heavy rain killed at least eight Rohingyas, including women and children in the refugee camps.
