Landslide toll crosses 152 as three more bodies found

Another three bodies were recovered in Rangamati on Thursday, raising the death toll in the fatal landslides in the hill district, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar  districts to 152. The newly-found bodies include the one belonging to army soldier Md Azizur Rahman, who had been missing since Tuesday when the landslides occurred. The rest two bodies were of a man and a woman. As of 10:22pm on Thursday, 110 people were reported dead in Rangamati alone. Five army officers and soldiers are among the victims there. Confirming the death toll, Rangamati Fire Service Deputy Assistant Direction Didar Alam said: “We have recovered the body of the missing solider and two others till the afternoon. A total of 110 bodies have been recovered so far.” Bodies of four other members of the army–Major Mohammad Mahfuzul Haq, Captain Md Tanvir Salam Shanto, Corporal Mohammad Azizul Haq and soldier Md Shahin Alamwere– were recovered on Tuesday. 10 others army men were also injured in the landslide in Rangamati’s Manikchhari area. Of the 105 deceased, 65 were killed in Sadar, 21 in Kawkhali, 18 in Kaptai, and four in Jurachhari and two in Bilaichhari upazilas. The district administration, which asked people living in risky hill areas to move to safer places, on Thursday said a further seven to eight people are still missing. An emergency monitoring cell has been opened at the deputy commissioner’s office. The rescuers comprising members of the army and fire service will continue their operation today as well. The number of deceased in Bandarban and Khgrachhari remained unchanged. Six people died in Bandarban while two others in Khagrachhari. No more bodies were found in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar as well. Chittagong saw the deaths of 32 people with a maximum 27 people dead in Rangunia, where two people remained unaccounted for. The rest died in Chandanaish, Banshkhali and Raozan upazilas. In Cox’s Bazar, a man and his daughter were killed in a landslide at Shatghoriapara village under Teknaf upazila early Wednesday.