Another person has been killed in a landslide in Cox’s Bazar, taking the death toll from landslides caused by heavy rains in the district to nine.

The latest incident occurred around 4:00am on Monday in the Chattar’s Ghona area of Cox’s Bazar pourasava.

With this, nine people have been reported killed in separate landslides between 1:00am on Sunday night and 4:00am on Monday. The other eight victims were residents of Rohingya refugee camps.

The deceased in Chattar’s Ghona has been identified as Ali Akbar, 45. Around 4:00am, a section of a hill collapsed onto his house.

Local resident Nazrul Islam said Ali Akbar and two other members of his family were buried under the debris. Neighbours rescued them and rushed them to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where the attending physician declared Ali Akbar dead. The two injured family members are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mohammad Ali confirmed Ali Akbar’s death. He said landslides were continuing amid persistent rainfall, and efforts were underway to evacuate residents from settlements located on vulnerable hillsides.

Eight dead in Rohingya camp

At least eight people, including women and children, have been killed in separate landslides at Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, following heavy rainfall.

The landslides occurred at four locations in the Balukhali, Kutupalong and Jamtoli refugee camps between 1:00 am and 3:00 am on Monday.

Several others were injured after being buried under the debris. Rescue operations are being carried out by members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), the Fire Service and Civil Defence, and Rohingya volunteers.

Dollar Tripura, an official of the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence Station, confirmed the deaths. He said eight people had died in landslides caused by heavy rain, adding that continued rainfall has heightened the risk of further landslides, as many Rohingya refugees live on unstable hillsides.

Assistant Meteorologist Md Abdul Hannan of the Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office said the heavy rainfall was being caused by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and an active monsoon. He warned that heavy to very heavy rain could continue for another two days.

Eight killed in landslides caused by heavy rain in Cox’s bazar

Rohingya community leader Akhtar Kamal said a landslide struck Block D-6 of Jamtoli Refugee Camp (Camp-15) at around 1:30 am. A section of hillside collapsed onto the home of Rohingya refugee Kamal Hossain.

Kamal Hossain, 44, his wife Humayra Begum, 39, and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas were killed while they were asleep. Firefighters and Rohingya volunteers recovered their bodies after removing the debris during the night. Two other members of the family were injured and admitted to hospital.

At around 2:00 am, another landslide hit Block D-7 of Kutupalong Refugee Camp (Camp-7), killing seven-year-old Md Ekram, the son of Rashid Ullah.

At approximately 3:30 am, a separate landslide in Block C-11 of Balukhali Refugee Camp (Camp-11) claimed the lives of four members of the same family. The victims were Umme Habiba, 27, her sister Tanzina Akter, 13, and her younger brothers Harunur Rashid, 3, and Mohammad Rihan, 5.

Fire Service official Dollar Tripura said two rescue units were dispatched immediately after receiving reports of the landslides. Working with Rohingya volunteers, rescuers continued operations until dawn and recovered the bodies of all eight victims.

Following the 2017 Rohingya influx, around 34 refugee camps were established after clearing nearly 8,000 acres of forest in Ukhiya and Teknaf. There are currently about 1.45 million registered Rohingya refugees living in 33 camps, with an estimated 80,000 residing in areas vulnerable to landslides. Fatal landslides occur almost every monsoon season in the camps.

250mm of Rain in 24 Hours

Rain has been lashing Cox’s Bazar since Sunday afternoon. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 250 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours until 6:00am on Monday, raising the risk of landslides.

Abdul Hannan, assistant meteorologist at the Cox’s Bazar office of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said the heavy rainfall was being caused by a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, coupled with an active monsoon. He warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue for another two days.