At least 17 people have died in landslides triggered by continuous heavy rainfall in Cox's Bazar district, including 13 in the Rohingya camps, as flooding left more than 200,000 people stranded and authorities warned of more rain.
According to the district administration, two people were killed in Cox's Bazar Sadar and two others in Chakaria, while 13 died in separate landslides in the Rohingya camps.
As of Thursday night, floodwaters had inundated large parts of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Chakaria, Pekua, Ukhiya, Teknaf, Ramu, Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Eidgaon and Matamuhuri after four days of continuous rainfall. Numerous homes, educational institutions and rural roads were submerged, disrupting normal life across the district.
Rajakhali, Magnama and Ujantia unions in Chakaria and Pekua were among the worst-hit areas.
Local residents alleged that water trapped in several fish enclosures had worsened waterlogging, while delays in drainage measures had prolonged public suffering.
Train services on the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar railway route remained suspended after floodwaters submerged sections of the tracks. Vessel movement on the Teknaf-Saint Martin's route also remained suspended due to adverse weather conditions.
District administration sources said continuous rainfall had significantly increased the risk of landslides after days of rain softened soil in hilly areas. Authorities estimate that at least 200,000 people living near hills in Sadar, Ukhiya, Teknaf, Ramu, Eidgaon, Chakaria, Maheshkhali and Pekua remain at risk.
The Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf are considered the most vulnerable, with hundreds of thousands of refugees living in shelters built on hill slopes susceptible to collapse.
Administration on high alert
The district administration has instructed all upazila administrations to remain on maximum alert, prepared shelters, readied rescue equipment and launched public announcements urging residents living on hill slopes and at the foothills to move to safer places.
Executive Magistrate Nafis Intesar Nafi said relocation efforts were underway in vulnerable areas, including Hajipara in Kolatoli, but many residents were still reluctant to leave despite repeated warnings.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tahmina Aktar said residents living at the foothills of vulnerable hills had been urged to relocate immediately, while the administration, Fire Service and law enforcement agencies had been placed on maximum alert.
Deputy Assistant Director of Cox's Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain said rescue teams were on standby and ready to respond immediately to landslides, flooding or any other emergency.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman said vulnerable areas of the Rohingya camps were under close monitoring and that families living in high-risk shelters would be relocated if necessary in coordination with camp authorities, UN agencies and humanitarian partners.
More rain forecast
Chittagong South Forest Division Barbakia Range Officer Md Khalequzzaman said continuous rainfall had heightened the risk of landslides, prompting authorities to use loudspeakers to urge residents living near hills to move to safer locations.
Pekua Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rafiqul Islam said excessive rainfall had inundated low-lying areas and that the administration was closely monitoring the situation while preparing to respond to any emergency.
Abdul Hannan, chief meteorologist at the Cox's Bazar Weather Office, warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to continue over the next several days as the monsoon remains active, increasing the risks of landslides, flash floods and waterlogging.
Residents said they remained anxious as the rain continued.
"It rained throughout the night, and we could not sleep. We are constantly living in fear with our children," said Mojaher Alam, a resident of Sonarpara in Ukhiya's Jaliapalong Union.
Deepak Sharma Dipu, president of the Cox's Bazar Forest and Environment Protection Council, said hill cutting, deforestation and unplanned settlements had made landslides increasingly frequent, stressing that year-round conservation measures and long-term planning were essential to reducing the risk.