Two more people were killed in separate incidents of a landslide and a wall collapse in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the district to 12 over the past two days.
Abdul Malek, 40, was killed after the earthen wall of a house collapsed in the Jambagan area of Haldiapalong Union in Ukhiya upazila around noon.
According to local residents, Malek was having lunch with family members at his in-laws’ house when the rain-weakened mud wall suddenly caved in, trapping him underneath.
He was rescued and rushed to Ukhiya Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead at around 5pm.
Malek, son of Chhaiyadur Rahman, was originally from Paschim Haldia village but had been living with his family at his in-laws’ home in Jambagan for a long time.
Holdiapalong Union Parishad Chairman Imrul Qayes Chowdhury confirmed the incident, saying the collapse was caused by persistent rainfall.
Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter said the victim’s family would receive government assistance.
In another incident, 27-year-old Nasima Akter Lima was killed after a landslide struck her house in Barochharapara of Dariyanagar under Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila at around 1:45pm.
Her husband, Jasim Uddin, sustained injuries and is receiving treatment at Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital.
Local Union Parishad member Mohammad Yunus said the couple had been resting inside their home after lunch when a large tree and a mass of earth slid down from a nearby hill and crashed onto the house.
They were rescued by local residents and taken to hospital, where doctors pronounced Lima dead.
Following the incident, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan visited the site and said the administration had repeatedly urged people living at the foothills to relocate to safer places through public announcements and awareness campaigns.
“Many residents were advised to move earlier, but some continue to stay in high-risk locations. If necessary, legal action will be taken to relocate them,” he said.
Senior Fire Service official Dolon Acharya said residents of landslide-prone areas, including the affected family, had also been advised on Monday to move to safer places.
Public announcements were continuing on Tuesday.
According to Assistant Meteorologist Md Abdul Hannan of the Cox’s Bazar Weather Office, the district recorded 129mm of rainfall on Monday and another 47mm between 6am and 3pm on Tuesday. More rain is forecast in the coming days.
On Monday, eight Rohingyas were killed in landslides at camps in Ukhiya. Two other people died in separate landslides in Cox’s Bazar town and Pekua.
