8 killed including women, children in landslides at Ukhiya Rohingya Camp

At least eight Rohingya refugees, including women and children, were killed and several others injured after relentless monsoon rain triggered separate landslides struck three refugee camps in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya early Monday (Monday 6).

The landslides occurred between 1:00am and 3:00am at Rohingya camps 7, 11 and 15. Fire Service personnel, the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), camp authorities and Rohingya volunteers carried out overnight rescue operations.

The deadliest incident took place around 1:30am in Block D/6 of Camp-15 at Jamtoli in Palongkhali Union, where a large section of hillside collapsed onto the home of Rohingya refugee Mohammad Kamal Hossain.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of Kamal Hossain (44), his wife Humaira Begum (39) and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas from beneath the debris. Ten members of the family were inside the shelter when the landslide struck. Several survivors were injured, including a teenage girl who was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Dollar Tripura said three bodies and two injured people were recovered from the site during the initial rescue operation.

Shortly afterwards, at around 2:00am, another landslide hit Block D/7 of Kutupalong Camp-7 in Rajapalong Union, killing Ekram (7), the son of refugee Mohammad Rashid. Camp volunteers recovered the child's body from the rubble, according to camp Majhi Enayet Ullah.

A third landslide struck Block C/11 of Balukhali Camp-11 at around 3:30am, claiming the lives of four members of the same family and injuring another.

The victims were identified as Umme Habiba (27), her sister Tanjina Akter (13), Mohammad Rihan (5) and Harunur Rashid (3).

Fire Service official Dollar Tripura confirmed that eight people were killed in the three separate landslides. He said rescue teams worked throughout the night to recover the victims and ensure medical treatment for the injured.

Rohingya refugee Jafar Alam said landslides remain one of the greatest threats during the monsoon season, as thousands of shelters built on fragile, cut hillsides become highly vulnerable after prolonged rainfall.

The Ukhiya upazila administration said continuous rainfall has significantly increased the risk of further landslides. Officials are using loudspeakers and other awareness campaigns to evacuate residents from high-risk areas.

Ukhiya Upazila Executive Officer Panna Akter urged residents to follow official evacuation instructions, warning that the threat of additional landslides remains high due to ongoing heavy rainfall.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, more than 100 millimetres of rain was recorded in Cox's Bazar over the past 24 hours.

Assistant Meteorologist Md Abdul Hannan said the heavy rainfall is being driven by an active monsoon and a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, with heavy to very heavy rain likely to continue for at least the next two days.