Two children were swept away by raging floodwaters in separate incidents in Cox's Bazar's Chakaria and Pekua upazilas on Saturday, as relentless monsoon flooding continued to wreak havoc across the region. Their bodies were later recovered, taking the death toll from floods, flash floods and landslides to 46.
The victims were identified as Sujit Das, 12, son of Tufan Das of Jaldaspura in Kaiarbil union of Chakaria and 19-month-old Mushfiqur Rahim, son of expatriate Nasir Uddin from Balirpara in Pekua Sadar Union.
According to local residents, Sujit was returning home with two others along a rural road that separates a fish enclosure from a residential area. Floodwater flowing from the settlement across the road into the fish enclosure and the Matamuhuri River created a strong current, sweeping Sujit into the enclosure. He went missing immediately.
Selim Uddin, an official of the Chakaria Fire Service and Civil Defence, said rescue efforts could not be launched immediately due to the strong current and the absence of a diving team. Divers from Chittagong were later called in, and Sujit's body was subsequently recovered.
In Pekua, Mushfiqur's mother had left him inside their house while she was working outside. Floodwater had risen to knee level inside the house and waist level in the yard. Unaware that the toddler had been swept away by the current flowing through the homestead, she only realised he was missing later.
At around 9:30 pm on Saturday, the child's uncle Ledu Mia, spotted his nephew's body floating while returning from a nearby shop. Mushfiqur was taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Pekua Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rafiqul Islam confirmed the child's death.