Three Rohingya girls were killed and at least 14 others rescued after a wall collapsed onto a girls' Hifz madrasa at Camp-5 in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The incident occurred around 3:45 pm amid heavy rainfall. Rescue workers fear more children may still be trapped beneath the debris as operations continue at the scene.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and Additional Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said 17 children had been rescued by 4:00 pm, including three who were found dead. All the victims were students of the Hifz madrasa.
He warned that the death toll could rise as several more children are believed to be trapped under the debris. All victims were students of the Hefzkhana. The incident happened when a wall built on a hillside collapsed onto the madrasa.
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 while more than 40 Rohingya girls, aged between 9 and 15, were attending classes.
Local residents rushed to the scene after hearing screams, joined by camp officials, members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Rohingya volunteers. They recovered the bodies of three girls and rescued 14 others alive.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan said authorities confirmed three deaths so far, although the identities of the victims are yet to be established.
Additional DIG Siraj Amin, commander of the 14 APBn responsible for camp security, said part of the wall collapsed during heavy rain, killing three children and seriously injuring three others.
Rohingya community leader Abdul Hamid said the deceased girls were between 9 and 15 years old and warned that the death toll could increase as rescue operations continued.
The incident comes just two days after landslides triggered by heavy rain killed at least eight Rohingyas, including women and children, in the refugee camps.
