At least five villages in Fulgazi upazila of Feni district were innundated overnight after flood protection embankments along the Muhuri and Selonia rivers collapsed due to heavy rainfall and upstream water from India.

The embankment breached at Uttar Baroiya in Fulgazi Sadar union, while two separate breaches occurred along the Selonia River near Gosaipur and Monipur areas, authorities and locals said on Friday.

Within moments, floodwaters entered homes in Uttar Baroiya, causing severe hardship for residents.

Locals were forced to leave their homes and take shelter elsewhere. Cooking and daily activities came to a halt amid rising water levels.

Md Mojibur Rahman, officer-in-charge at Feni Meteorological Office, said 61 mm of rainfall was recorded in the district in 24 hours till 6pm on Thursday. Rain is likely to reduce from Friday night.

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A visit to the area found low-lying regions of Dakshin Baroiya, Bijoypur, Basantapur, Fatehpur and Bashikhpur submerged. Water also entered the Fulgazi kitchen market, damaging goods.

Parts of Parshuram upazila were similarly flooded as river water overflowed the banks.

Local Md Morshed from Baroiya said, “We tried to prevent the breach with the help of locals, but failed. It's frustrating to face such floods again even before recovering from last year’s disaster. Some officials’ negligence leads us to this misery every monsoon.”

Feni Water Development Board Executive Engineer Akhtar Hossain Majumder said the Muhuri River is still flowing below the danger level, but several embankment points remain at risk. One site has already collapsed.