Two Rohingya children died in separate incidents of landslide and flash flood at refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, amid continuous heavy rainfall, hill runoff and adverse weather conditions.
Four-year-old Mohammad Arshad, son of Abdul Jalil, a resident of Ukhiya’s Rohingya Camp-5, drowned after being swept away by a strong current caused by hill runoff at Block D-7 around 2pm on Wednesday.
Local residents said Arshad fell into the fast-moving water while playing with other children. A search operation was launched immediately, and his body was recovered from the Ukhiya Ghat canal near the Customs area around 7pm.
In another incident, seven-year-old Nunushi, son of Jamat Hossain, was killed in a landslide at Rohingya Camp-13 in Tajnimarkhola, Ukhiya, on the same day.
Confirming the incidents, Mohammad Siraj Amin, commander (Additional DIG) of the 14 Armed Police Battalion (APBn), said the child was swept away by the hill runoff.
“After a long search, locals recovered the body from the Ukhiya Ghat canal near the Customs area around 7pm and informed police. A surathal report was prepared before the body was handed over to the family,” he said.
According to sources involved with the Rohingya camps, landslides of varying intensity have occurred in at least 17 of the 33 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf during the current monsoon season.
The risk of waterlogging has also increased as continuous rainfall has weakened hill slopes, triggering frequent landslides and flooding-related deaths in the camps.
Camp authorities and related sources said at least 21 Rohingya men, women and children have died from landslides and being swept away by floodwaters from July to the first week of August.
