Landslide Disasters Amidst Heavy Monsoon Rains
A fatal landslide has occurred in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, including seven students and a teacher, when it struck a girls' school within a refugee camp. The incident took place at an Islamic study center on Wednesday afternoon, leading to an immediate and desperate search and rescue operation.
The country has been experiencing severe monsoon rains since the previous Sunday, causing multiple landslides in the region. Cox's Bazar is home to over a million Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar due to a military crackdown in 2017, making it the largest refugee settlement in the world.
Rescue Efforts and Casualties
According to Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, rescuers managed to extract 13 individuals from the mud that engulfed the school structure. Tragically, eight of these people succumbed to their injuries. Panna Akhter, a local district officer, reported that the victims included children as young as seven, up to the age of 12. Five other children were rushed to a hospital for medical care.
Images from the scene show crowds gathering at the school site, desperately trying to rescue trapped students from the mud.
Ongoing Risks and Warnings
In addition to this tragic incident, officials have reported that other landslides in the area since Sunday have claimed the lives of at least eight more Rohingya refugees, including five children. The Rohingya, primarily a Muslim ethnic minority, face significant challenges as they are not recognized as citizens by Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation. Living conditions in the refugee camps in Bangladesh are harsh, with many residing in makeshift shelters constructed from tarpaulin and bamboo on precarious hillsides.
With more rain expected in the coming days, authorities have issued warnings of potential further landslides and flooding. Efforts are underway to evacuate families residing in high-risk areas to prevent additional casualties.
Source: Original Article
