The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain and flash floods across seven districts has risen to 59, with Cox's Bazar emerging as the worst-hit district, accounting for more than half of the fatalities, according to the latest government figures.
A revised report released by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, based on data updated until 4:00 pm on Saturday, said 40 people have been injured, while one person remains missing in Cox's Bazar.
Senior Information Officer Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin said 32 people have died in Cox's Bazar, including 19 local residents and 13 Rohingyas.
A total of 73 emergency shelters have been opened, including 67 in Bandarban, four in Moulvibazar and two in Habiganj. As of Saturday afternoon, 298 people were staying in the shelters, all of them in Moulvibazar, the report said.
Chittagong recorded the second-highest death toll, with 16 deaths and 12 injuries, followed by Bandarban, where seven people were killed and two injured. Rangamati reported three deaths, Moulvibazar recorded one, while Khagrachhari reported one injury but no fatalities.
In Cox's Bazar alone, 25 people were injured, including 20 local residents and five Rohingyas, bringing the total number of injured across the seven districts to 40.
The ministry said the disaster has affected Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Moulvibazar and Habiganj, impacting 56 upazilas, 374 unions and four municipalities.
Partial waterlogging has been reported across Chittagong city and 16 upazilas, affecting 176 unions and localities. In Cox's Bazar, 75 unions in 10 upazilas have been affected, while 43 unions and two municipalities in nine upazilas of Rangamati and 34 unions and two municipalities in seven upazilas of Bandarban have also been hit.
The floods have additionally affected 36 unions in Khagrachhari, five unions in Moulvibazar Sadar, and five unions across three upazilas in Habiganj.
Relief efforts
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief said it is distributing cash assistance, rice, dry food, children's food, animal feed, corrugated iron sheets and housing grants among affected families.
According to the report, Chittagong has received Tk 75 lakh and 1,200 metric tonnes of rice, Cox's Bazar Tk 40 lakh and 450 metric tonnes of rice, and Rangamati Tk 30 lakh and 500 metric tonnes of rice. Khagrachhari and Bandarban have each been allocated Tk 25 lakh and 400 metric tonnes of rice.
Nationwide, the ministry has allocated Tk 5.15 crore, 9,050 metric tonnes of rice, 4,200 bundles of corrugated iron sheets, and Tk 1.26 crore for house reconstruction across all 64 districts. It noted, however, that these allocations are part of the government's overall disaster response and are not exclusively earmarked for the seven flood-affected districts.
