B’DESH LANDSLIDES TOLL REACHES 152

DHAKA: Over 150 people were killed in one of the worst landslides to hit Bangladesh, triggered by torrential rains, with most of the causalities reported from a remote hill district close to the Indian border.

“We have recorded 152 deaths and 13 more bodies were found as the rescue works is underway and many are reported missing,” an official said.the southeastern Rangmathi hill district, which borders Mizoram and Tripura, was the worst hit with at least 20 landslides hitting it. The district alone saw 105 deaths, including four army personnel who were engaged in rescue operations.

Bangladesh’s MET office issued a warning today predicting “heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to occur at places over northeastern Sylhet and southeastern Chittagong administrative divisions during next 24 hours”. It said the heavy downpour was likely to trigger fresh landslides, “at hilly regions of Sylhet and Chittagong divisions”.

According to an official at the Disaster Management Ministry, until this morning, the casualties were reported from southeastern hill districts of Rangamati and Bandarban, bordering the port city of Chittagong. 142 people were killed in landslides, while others were drowned or killed in lightning, Uddin said. The disaster claimed 29 lives in Chittagong, six in Bandarban, two in Cox’s Bazar and one in Khagrachhari.

The disaster management officials earlier said over 4,000 people were moved to different government shelters as the landslides ravaged their homes.