At least 51 people have been killed and dozens more injured after severe floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain swept across southeastern Bangladesh, authorities said on Sunday.
Relentless rainfall has battered the region since last Tuesday, inundating seven of Bangladesh’s 64 administrative districts and affecting more than one million people, with many communities still cut off from the outside world.
According to the government, the worst-hit district is Cox’s Bazar, where 28 people lost their lives, most of them believed to be members of the Rohingya community living in overcrowded refugee camps.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief reported that another 13 people were killed in Chattogram, six in Bandarban, three in Rangamati, and one in Moulvibazar. No fatalities have been reported so far in the other flood-affected districts of Habiganj and Khagrachhari.
Authorities said 39 people were injured, while 38,422 residents have been evacuated to temporary relief centres as emergency response efforts continue across the affected areas.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre expects heavy rain to persist across northeastern Bangladesh, as well as the neighbouring Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya, until at least Tuesday morning, raising concerns that flooding could worsen.
Footage from Cox’s Bazar showed vast areas submerged, with only the zinc rooftops of homes visible above the floodwaters. Residents were seen wading through chest-deep water while carrying their belongings to safety.
Meanwhile, overnight downpours also flooded large parts of the capital, Dhaka, causing widespread traffic congestion across the city on Sunday as authorities continued to monitor the evolving situation.
