400-plus people evacuated in Chattogram amid fears of landslides

Chattogram
July 29, 2021, 12:46 AM
by UNB NEWS

UNB News
Chattogram
Publish- July 29, 2021, 12:46 AM
UNB NEWS
Update- July 29, 2021, 02:49 AM

400-plus people evacuated in Chattogram amid fears of landslides

Photo: UNB

More than 400 people living in the hills of Chattogram city have been shifted as steady rain threatens to unleash more landslides.

The landslide concern caused the district administration Wednesday to immediately relocate the families living in the hills of Lalkhan Bazar, Motijharna, Batali Hill, Akbar Shah, Hill-1, Hill-2 and Bayezid Link Road in the wake of heavy monsoon rain for the last few days.

"They have been moved to four shelters of the city – Al Hera Madrasa, Raufabad Rashidia Madrasa, Firoz Shah Primary School and Lalkhan Bazar Primary School – in the night. Meals and first aid were arranged for them," Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman told UNB.

Read: 5 of a family killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide

"Also, 25 risky establishments were evicted during a drive," he added.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast nearly 570mm of accumulated rainfall between July 27-30 and issued warnings of heavy rain and risk of landslides in some hilly regions of the Chattogram division.

Hilly areas of Chattogram are especially vulnerable to landslides because of widespread deforestation in the hills. On Tuesday seven people were killed, including five Rohingyas, in landslides triggered by over 20 hours of rain from Monday onwards.

Read: Landslide kills 5 at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp

Environmentalists say the number of people living at risk in the hills of Chattogram is around 1 lakh. From 2007 to 2020, more than 200 people lost their lives in landslides in Chattogram.

The highest landslide fatalities occurred in 2007 when 127 people died on June 11. Besides, 30 people were killed in a 2017 landslide.