A significant number of people who sought refuge in shelters due to the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Bandarban have now returned to their homes, District Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin has said. During a press briefing held on Friday (August 11, 2023) afternoon, he outlined the overall situation in the district, elaborating on the extent of the destruction caused by the recent torrential rains and floods. The calamity has left a trail of destruction, displacing families and causing substantial damage to infrastructure. Read more Flood situation improves in Bandarban Currently, around 340 individuals remain in various shelters across the district as they grapple with the aftermath of the disaster. The impact has been dire, with 15,800 families stranded by flooding, and a staggering 15,600 houses being severely damaged, he said.  Quoting the Agriculture Department, the District Commissioner said that the agricultural sector has been hit hard, with 8,253 hectares of cropland succumbing to the deluge.  He also reported 10 deaths resulting from the flood and landslides.  Read more Woman, daughter among 3 killed in Bandarban landslides Furthermore, road connections to Thanchi and Ruma upazilas remain severed due to the relentless downpour. The Department of Public Health Engineering has taken steps for rehabilitation by setting up two mobile water purification units, he said. Already, 2 lakh litres of water have been distributed through this initiative. The Bangladesh Army has also joined the relief efforts, distributing an additional 53,800 litres of drinking water,  he said.  Additionally, 850 families have received essential dry food provisions, while 962 individuals have been given vital medical care and medications.  Read more Army deployed to tackle flood, landslides in Ctg, Bandarban

As torrential rains for the last couple of days have triggered the risk of landslide, the Rangamati district administration has asked the residents living in the hill slopes to evacuate their homes.Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan issued the directive and visited the areas in the foothills in the district town on Friday afternoon.Residents in Shimultoli, Rupnagar, Loknath Temple and Bhedbhedi Muslim Para areas in the district town were asked to move to shelters through loudspeaker.Already the local administration has opened 19 shelter centres in nine wards of Rangamati town. Flooding and a landslide in eastern China leave 5 dead and 3 missing“There is a risk of landslides in the district due to the torrential rainfall for the last several days and that’s why the local administration asked the residents to take shelter in safer places,” said DC Mosharraf. Indian rescuers recover 27 dead but no sign of dozens of missing villagers swamped by a landslideAll steps have been taken at the shelter centres, he said. Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 77 mm of rains in Rangamati in 24 hours till 6am on Satruday.Landslide triggered by heavy rains kills 10 and traps many others in western India    

A landslide struck a rural district in China's southwestern Sichuan province on Sunday morning, killing 14 people and leaving five others missing, authorities said. The mountainous region has seen rainfall lasting weeks, saturating the top soil. More than 180 people were mobilized to help find those buried under the debris in Sichuan's Leshan county, with the search ongoing into the afternoon, the Communist Party committee of Jinhouke district said on its social media account. With its humid, rainy climate, southwestern China is prone to landslides, especially in areas where there has been large-scale shifting of land due to farming, deforestation or engineering projects.

Rescuers on Saturday found the bodies of a woman and two children, raising the death toll from a landslide on an unlicensed campground in Malaysia to 24 with nine others still missing. Selangor state fire chief Norazam Khamis told reporters the bodies of a mother and son were found buried under a meter (3 feet) of mud and debris. The body of a little girl was discovered later. He said there was hope of finding survivors if they clung on to piles or branches or rocks with pockets of air but that chances were slim. Read more: Landslide at Malaysia campground leaves 16 dead, 17 missing Authorities said 94 people were sleeping at the camp site on an organic farm early Friday when the dirt tumbled from a road about 30 meters (100 feet) above them and covered about 1 hectare (3 acres). Most were families enjoying a short vacation during the yearend school break. The 24 victims included seven children and 13 women. Authorities were still carrying out autopsies and waiting for next of kin to identify the victims. A mother and her toddler daughter were found Friday hugging each other in a heart-rending scene, rescuers said. Seven people were hospitalized and dozens more, including three Singaporeans, were rescued unharmed. Read more: 1 dead, up to 12 missing in landslide on Italian island Wearing helmets and carrying shovels and other equipment, rescuers worked in teams Saturday to comb through debris as deep as 8 meters (26 feet). Excavators were deployed to clear mud and fallen trees and rescue dogs were sent to sniff out possible signs of life and cadavers. Officials said an estimated 450,000 cubic meters (nearly 16 million cubic feet) of debris — enough to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools — hit the campsite. Norazam said rescuers were treading carefully as underground water streams may trigger further landslides. Authorities have said the landowners did not have a license to run a campground. Officials are unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the landslide, which came without warning, but believed it could be due to underground water movement while the yearend monsoon rains made the soil unstable. Survivors recounting their ordeal told local media they heard a thunderous noise and felt the earth move before soil collapsed on their tents. The government has ordered all campsites nationwide that are near rivers, waterfalls and hillsides to be shut for a week to assess their safety. The campsite in Batang Kali, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, is a popular recreational site for locals to pitch or rent tents from the farm. But authorities said it has been running illegally for the past two years. It has permission to run the farm but no license to operate camping activities. If found guilty, the operator faces up to three years in prison and a fine.

A thunderous crush of soil and debris killed 21 people at a campground in Malaysia on Friday, and rescuers dug through the mud in the night for another 12 who were feared buried in the landslide. More than 90 people were sleeping on an organic farm when the dirt tumbled from a road about 30 meters (100 feet) above the site and covered about 1 hectare (3 acres). Two of the dead were found locked in an embrace, according to the state fire department chief. Authorities told local media that the landowners did not have a license to run a campground. At least seven people were hospitalized and dozens more were rescued unharmed, said district police chief Suffian Abdullah. Leong Jim Meng told the New Straits Times English-language daily that he and his family were awakened by a loud bang and felt the earth move at the campsite in Batang Kali, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the capital of Kuala Lumpur. “My family and I were trapped as soil covered our tent. We managed to escape to a carpark area and heard a second landslide happening,” the 57-year-old was quoted as saying. He said it was surprising because there was no heavy rain in recent days, only light drizzles. Also read: Landslide kills four of a family in Cox's Bazar's Ramu It is currently the season for monsoon rains in Malaysia, and the country's government development minister, Nga Kor Ming, said all campsites nationwide that are near rivers, waterfalls and hillsides would be closed for a week to assess their safety. The Selangor state fire department posted photos of rescuers digging through soil and rubble with an excavator and shovels. Officials said the rubble is believed to be 8 meters (26 feet) deep. More than 400 rescuers as well as tracking dogs are set to work through the night to find the dozen people still missing. Selangor state fire chief Norazam Khamis was cited by the Free Malaysia Today news portal as saying that two of the bodies found were “hugging each other” and believed to be mother and daughter. The fire department said five children were among those who perished. An estimated 450,000 cubic meters (nearly 16 million cubic feet) of debris — enough to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools — hit the campsite, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the natural resources, environment and climate change minister, told local media. Suffian, the district police chief, said the victims entered the area, a popular recreational site for locals to pitch or rent tents from the farm, on Wednesday. The campsite is not far from the Genting Highlands hill resort, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia’s only casino. After visiting the site late Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a special payment to the families of those killed as well as survivors. Nga told local media that the campsite has been operating illegally for the past two years. The operator has government approval to run an organic farm but has no license for camping activities, he said. If found guilty, Nga warned, the camp operator could face up to three years in prison and a fine.

A landslide early Friday at a hillside tourist campground in Malaysia left 16 people dead and authorities said 17 others were feared buried at the site on an organic farm outside the capital of Kuala Lumpur. An estimated 94 Malaysians were sleeping at the campsite in Batang Kali in central Selangor state, around 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, when the incident occurred, said district police chief Suffian Abdullah. He said the death toll has risen to 16, including a five-year-old boy. Seven people have been hospitalized with injuries and rescuers were searching for the estimated 17 missing people, he said. Another 53 people were rescued without harm. Suffian said the victims had entered the area, a popular recreational site for locals to pitch or rent tents from the farm, on Wednesday. More than 400 personnel, including tracking dogs, were involved in the search and rescue efforts. The Selangor fire department said firefighters began arriving at the scene half an hour after receiving a distress call at 2:24 a.m. The landslide fell from the side of a road from an estimated height of 30 meters (98 feet) and covered an area of about three acres (1.2 hectare). The fire department posted photos of rescuers with flashlights digging through soil and rubble in the early hours of the morning. Read more: Newborn among 7 dead in Italian island landslide Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for a thorough search and is expected to visit the site late Friday. Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming told local media that the campsite has been operating illegally for the past two years. The operator has government approval to run an organic farm but has no license for camping activities, he said. If found guilty, Nga warned the camp operator could face up to three years in jail and a fine. Some families with young children who were rescued took refuge at a nearby police station. Survivors reportedly said they heard a loud thundering noise before the soil came crashing down. Leong Jim Meng, 57, was quoted by the New Straits Times English-language daily saying he and his family were awakened by a loud bang “that sounded like an explosion” and felt the earth move. “My family and I were trapped as soil covered our tent. We managed to escape to a carpark area and heard a second landslide happening,” he told the newspaper. He said it was surprising because there was no heavy rain in recent days, only light drizzles. Read more: 33 killed in Colombia landslide The campsite is located on an organic farm not far from the Genting Highlands hill resort, a popular tourist destination with theme parks and Malaysia’s only casino. Access to roads leading to the area have been blocked. Authorities have halted outdoor recreational activities in Batang Kali. Nga, the local government development minister, said all campsites nationwide that are situated by rivers, waterfalls and hillsides will be closed for a week to assess their safety amid forecasts of downpours in the next few days. Malaysia is currently experiencing year-end monsoon rains.

A landslide in Cox's Bazar's Ramu killed four members of a family living on the foot of a hill Wednesday, the authorities said. The incident took place at around 8:30pm due to a landslide in Jadi Hill in Lot Ukhiyar Ghona area of Kauarkhop union, Ramu Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fahmida Mustafa said. The four people killed were identified as Azizur Rahman, 50, his wife Rahima Begum, 45, mother-in-law Dil Faraz Begum, 70, and daughter-in-law Nasima Begum, 20, of Lot Ukhiyar Ghona, he added. Kauarkup Union Parishad Chairman Shamsul Alam said Azizur and his family members were having dinner at night when the landslide demolished their house. "All of them immediately died from the impact of the collapse." For a long time, the soil has been excavated from the hill for some brick kilns surrounding it, which might have caused the landslide, locals said. Read more: Landslides remain most substantial damaging, recurrent hazards in Cox’s Bazar: UNDP

The death toll climbed to 33 from a landslide that buried vehicles along a highway in Colombia over the weekend, Colombian Interior Minister Alfonso Prada said Monday. The landslide that happened on Sunday buried a bus carrying passengers from Cali, in the western Valle del Cauca department, to Condoto, in the western Choco department, along with a car and a motorcycle on the Pereira-Quibdo Highway in the western-central department of Risaralda. "We have identified 33 deceased people, including three minors. We have rescued nine people alive, four of them are currently in critical condition," Prada said. Read: Newborn among 7 dead in Italian island landslide Personnel from Colombia's Risk Management Unit, and the Transit and Transportation Directorate of the Transportation Ministry, as well as the police department and the military, rushed to rescue, he said. In the wake of the landslide, authorities plan to declare a nationwide maximum alert to prepare for weather-related disasters amid a cold wave that is expected to continue for several more months, said Prada. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered a National Unified Command Post to be installed in the capital Bogota by Tuesday at the latest to determine the state of the roadways under adverse weather conditions, he said. Read: Landslides remain most substantial damaging, recurrent hazards in Cox’s Bazar: UNDP Risaralda Governor Victor Manuel Tamayo told reporters the highway where the accident occurred is in poor condition, complicating efforts to find survivors and retrieve the bodies of the victims.

Search teams have recovered seven dead, including a 3-week-old infant and a pair of young siblings, buried in mud and debris that hurtled down a mountainside and through a densely populated port city on the resort island of Ischia, officials said Sunday. The Naples prefect confirmed that five people remained missing, and feared buried under the debris of an enormous landslide that struck Casamicciola before dawn on Saturday. Its force collapsed buildings and pushed vehicles into the sea. The other victims were identified as the infant boy’s parents, a 5-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother, a 31-year-old island resident and a Bulgarian tourist. Read more: 1 dead, up to 12 missing in landslide on Italian island “Mud and water tend to fill every space,'' Luca Cari, the spokesman for Italian firefighters, told RAI state TV. ”Our teams are searching with hope, even if it is very difficult." “Our biggest hope is that people identified as missing have found refuge with relatives and friends and have not advised of their position,” he added. The risks of landslides remained in the highest part of the town, near where heavy rainfall loosened a chunk of mountainside, requiring search teams to enter by foot, he said. Small bulldozers first focused on clearing roads to allow rescue vehicles to pass, while dive teams were brought in to check cars that had been pushed into the sea. “We are continuing the search with our hearts broken, because among the missing are also minors," Giacomo Pascale, the mayor of the neighboring town of Lacco Ameno, told RAI. Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Ischia during the traditional Sunday blessing in St. Peter's Square. “I am praying for the victims, for those who are suffering and for those who are involved in the rescue,” he said. The Naples prefect, Claudio Palomba, said on Sunday that 30 homes had been inundated and more than 200 people had been displaced. Five people were injured. The massive landslide before dawn on Saturday was triggered by exceptional rainfall, and sent a mass of mud and debris hurtling through the port of Casamicciola, collapsing buildings and sweeping vehicles into the sea. One widely circulated video showed a man, covered with mud, clinging to a shutter, chest-deep in muddy water. Another family escaped a home on the mountainside that appeared Sunday to teeter over a precipice, the daily Corriere della Sera reported. The island received 126 millimeters (nearly five inches) of rain in six hours, the heaviest rainfall in 20 years, according to officials. Experts said the disaster was exacerbated by building in areas of high risk on the mountainous island, which is also in an seismically active zone. Two people were killed in 2017 when a 4.0-magnitude quake struck Casamicciola and Lacco Ameno. Read more: At least 31 dead in south Philippines floods, landslides “There is territory that cannot be occupied. You cannot change the use of a zone where there is water. The course of the water created this disaster," geologist Riccardo Caniparoli told RAI. “There are norms and laws that were not respected.” Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campagna region where Ischia is located, said houses in areas at risk must be demolished, suggesting they had been built without necessary permits. “People need to understand that you cannot live in some areas. There is no such thing as the necessity (to build) illegally," De Luca told RAI. ”Buildings in fragile zones should be demolished." The Italian government declared a state of emergency for the island during an urgent Cabinet meeting Sunday, earmarking 2 million euros (nearly $2.1 million) for the rescue and to restore public services. “The government expresses its closeness to the citizens, mayors and towns of the island of Ischia, and thanks the rescue workers searching for the victims," Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement.

Heavy rainfall triggered a massive landslide early Saturday on the southern Italian resort island of Ischia that destroyed buildings and swept parked cars into the sea, leaving at least one person dead and up to 12 missing. The body of a woman was pulled from the mud, the Naples prefect Claudio Palomba, told a news conference. With raining continuing to fall, rescuers were working gingerly with small bulldozers to pick through some six to seven meters (yards) of mud and detritus in the search for possible victims. Reinforcements arrived by ferry, including teams of sniffer dogs to help the search efforts. The force of the mud sliding down the mountainside just before dawn was strong enough to send cars and buses onto beaches and into the sea at the port of Casamicciola, on the north end of the island, which lies off Naples. Read more: 252 dead as Indonesia earthquake topples homes, buildings, roads The island received 126 millimeters (nearly five inches) of rain in six hours, the heaviest rainfall in 20 years, according to officials. Streets were impassable and mayors on the island urged people to stay home. At least 100 people were reported stranded without electricity and water, and about 70 were housed in a community gymnasium. There was early confusion over the death toll. Vice Premier Matteo Salvini initially said eight people were confirmed dead, followed by the interior minister saying that no deaths were confirmed, while 10 to 12 were missing. Read more: At least 31 dead in south Philippines floods, landslides “The situation is very complicated and very serious because probably some of those people are under the mud,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told RAI state TV from an emergency command center in Rome. ANSA reported that at least 10 buildings collapsed. One family with a newborn that was previously reported missing was located and was receiving medical care, according to the Naples prefect. Video from the island showed small bulldozers clearing roads, while residents used hoses to try to get mud out of their homes. One man, identified as Benjamin Iacono, told Sky TG24 that mud overwhelmed three adjacent shops that he owns, completely wiping out his inventory. He estimated damage at 100,000 euros to 150,000 euros ($104,000 to $156,000) Firefighters and the Coast Guard were conducting search and rescues, initially hampered by strong winds that prevented helicopters and boats from reaching the island. The densely populated mountainous island is a popular tourist destination for both its beaches and spas. A 4.0-magnitude quake on the island in 2017 killed two people, causing significant damage to the towns of Casamicciola and neighboring Lacco Ameno.