Landslides kill 4 in Cox’s Bazar

Four people, including two children of a family, were killed and three others hospitalised with injuries, as heavy rain triggered landslides that struck their homes early yesterday, officials said. The families of those killed and wounded were given Tk. 20,000 and Tk. 10,000 respectively as compensation.

The deaths raised the total number of casualties caused by landslides to six in the past two months. “Such tragedies have kept occurring because people have chosen to ignore our warnings being issued over loudspeakers,” executive magistrate Pankaj Barua told reporters yesterday.

“We force the people living in the hills to move out. But they always return there , foiling all our efforts to keep them safe,” the official said.

Five-year-old Zihan and three-year-old Saima, children of Ziaur Rahman and wife Anar Koli, were rescued from under the debris of their rented home, which had collapsed due to the landslides at Cheinda in Ramu upazila.

Mohammad Delwar, a hotel employee who used to live in a rented house, was buried under the debris in the Lighthouse area. Three of Delwar’s colleagues—Shahed, Arafat and Saddam—who were in the same house yesterday, were, however, rescued by neighbours and taken to hospital.

Arafat succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.  Pankaj Barua said the district administration had cleared over 400 illegal settlements from the hills of Cox’s Bazar. But most people returned and rebuilt their homes again within a week. Illegal settlers living on hills would henceforth be forcibly brought down to save their lives, he added.

 Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Huq of the Cox’s Bazar Met Office told The Independent that more landslides were likely because of the heavy rain.

 The showers would continue till today (Wednesday), he added.  Cox’s Bazar district commissioner Anwarul Naser reported that six executive magistrates were working with mobile teams to shift people living in the hills to temporary shelters. These people were being provided dry food by the local administration, he added.

Landslides kill 4 in Coxs Bazar

Four people, including two children of a family, were killed and three others hospitalised with injuries, as heavy rain triggered landslides that struck their homes early yesterday, officials said. The families of those killed and wounded were given Tk. 20,000 and Tk. 10,000 respectively as compensation. The deaths raised the total number of casualties caused by landslides to six in the past two months. Such tragedies have kept occurring because people have chosen to ignore our warnings being issued over loudspeakers, executive magistrate Pankaj Barua told reporters yesterday. We force the people living in the hills to move out. But they always return there , foiling all our efforts to keep them safe, the official said. Five-year-old Zihan and three-year-old Saima, children of Ziaur Rahman and wife Anar Koli, were rescued from under the debris of their rented home, which had collapsed due to the landslides at Cheinda in Ramu upazila. Mohammad Delwar, a hotel employee who used to live in a rented house, was buried under the debris in the Lighthouse area. Three of Delwars colleaguesShahed, Arafat and Saddamwho were in the same house yesterday, were, however, rescued by neighbours and taken to hospital. Arafat succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Pankaj Barua said the district administration had cleared over 400 illegal settlements from the hills of Coxs Bazar. But most people returned and rebuilt their homes again within a week. Illegal settlers living on hills would henceforth be forcibly brought down to save their lives, he added. Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Huq of the Coxs Bazar Met Office told The Independent that more landslides were likely because of the heavy rain. The showers would continue till today (Wednesday), he added. Coxs Bazar district commissioner Anwarul Naser reported that six executive magistrates were working with mobile teams to shift people living in the hills to temporary shelters. These people were being provided dry food by the local administration, he added.