Flood tightens grip

Five more people, including three women and a kid, were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Cox's Bazar town early yesterday, barely a month after five people died in landslides in the district.

Some three lakh people have been marooned by flood water following the rise in water of the Matamuhuri. People took shelter on roads and highways as many houses were damaged in Chakaria, Pekua and Ramu upazilas.

In Bandarban, the overall flood situation remained unchanged yesterday. The flash flood has left some 40,000 people without shelter. The road links between the district and other parts of the country remain cut for the last three days.

Many victims said they were suffering from shortage of food and drinking water and were yet to receive relief supplies.

Hundreds of people living on hill slopes in Moulvibazar and Khagrachhari were passing their days in fear of landslides due to incessant rain.

Sources at Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner's office said at least four houses near the local radar station were buried under mud when the landslide occurred around 2:00am yesterday. A portion of the station's boundary wall also collapsed.

Within half an hour, members of Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh, fire brigade and police launched a search for victims.

Critically injured Jhunu Begum, 28, and her six-year-old daughter Neha were rescued around 4:00am. The two died on the way to a hospital.

The bodies of Shah Alam, 50, his wife Rokeya Begum, 36, and their niece Rita Akhter, 21, were found around 1:00pm.

Four others were rescued alive from under the mud before the search operation ended around 3:00pm.

Victim Nuru Nabi said locals hurried to the spot and rescued him.

Petan Ali, leader of the Cox's Bazar Municipality unit Awami League, said his house was also hit by the landslide, but his family members were safe.

Acting deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar Anupam Saha said they launched an awareness campaign in the district to warn people about the dangers of living on hill slopes.

The bodies of the five victims were handed over to their relatives in the evening.

Meanwhile, Anwar Hossain, 55, of Surazpur-Manikpur union and Rokeya Begum, 29, of Khutakhali union in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar drowned in flood water on Sunday night, said the upazila nirbahi officer.

Earlier on June 27, five people died in landslides in different upazilas of the district.

There were landslides in two hills in Chittagong city's GEC and Surson Road areas yesterday due to heavy rains, but no casualties were reported.

Mansurur Rahman, district rehabilitation officer in Bandarban, said they distributed 35 tonnes of rice and Tk 70,000 among the flood victims.

The Barisal port authorities asked all small and medium-sized vessels to suspend operations until further notice due to rough weather.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority suspended operations of its 36 launches on 22 routes from Barisal. However, trips of Dhaka-bound triple-deck launches were not cancelled till 5:00pm yesterday.

Our correspondents from Cox's Bazar, Barisal, Chittagong, Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Moulvibazar contributed to this report.