Eight people, including seven children, were killed after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a madrasa at a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, on Wednesday afternoon.
The deceased included seven students of the madrasa and an adult teacher. Five others were injured and are undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
The incident occurred at around 2:30pm at the A-3 Block of Rohingya Camp No. 5 in Kutupalong, Ukhiya, while more than 40 students were attending classes.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman confirmed the incident.
According to local sources and the Fire Service, a nearby hillside suddenly collapsed onto the madrasa during class, burying the teacher and students under the debris.
Firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving the information and launched a rescue operation. Thirteen people were pulled from the rubble, of whom eight were found dead. The remaining five injured victims were taken to different hospitals for treatment.
Local Rohingya volunteers, members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Fire Service personnel, and staff of various humanitarian organizations also joined the rescue operation.
Authorities believe continuous heavy rainfall had weakened the soil of the hill adjacent to the madrasa, triggering the landslide.
Landslides are a recurring hazard in the Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf during the monsoon season, as heavy rainfall often destabilizes the hillsides where thousands of refugees live.
On July 6, eight people, including women and children, were killed in separate landslides in the camps. Despite repeated warnings from authorities and aid agencies to relocate from high-risk areas, many Rohingya families continue to live on vulnerable hillsides due to a lack of safer alternatives.