Burichang Upazila of Comilla has been completely cut off due to severe flooding, with no electricity or mobile network, making the relief distribution crisis worse.
The situation worsened on Saturday morning as flood-affected residents were left stranded without aid. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk of falling ill.
The disaster began on Thursday night when the Gumti River embankment in the Burburia area of Burichang Upazila collapsed. Within a short time, the entire upazila, including local homes, was inundated.
Electricity meters in some areas were submerged, causing power outages.
For safety reasons, electricity was subsequently disconnected. The lack of power also led to the shutdown of mobile towers, which operated on backup batteries until Saturday morning.
With the batteries now depleted, communication in Burichang Upazila has completely broken down, isolating the region.
Volunteers are struggling to deliver relief due to downed electric cables and the absence of power.
"We cannot understand where help is needed or where relief should be delivered," said one volunteer. "I never imagined an upazila’s network would collapse like this. People are crying out for relief. In many areas, people went without food last night. Everywhere we go, they tell us they haven’t received any food."
Engineer Mostafizur Rahman, senior general manager of Comilla Palli Bidyut Samiti-2, explained: "More than 60 villages are underwater, with all electricity meters floating in the floodwaters. It would be dangerous to restore power now. Some mobile operators have contacted us, but we’ve informed them that restoring electricity isn’t possible until the water recedes. Relief boats are passing over power lines, and an accident could happen at any time. We cannot put our workers in such danger. We will restore power as soon as the water level drops."
