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Bangladesh Monsoon Death Toll Hits 50, Thousands Displaced
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Disasters & Emergencies

Bangladesh Monsoon Death Toll Hits 50, Thousands Displaced

From Dawn · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • At least 50 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced due to flash floods and landslides from monsoon rains in Bangladesh over the past week.
  • The southeastern Chattogram district is the worst-affected, with 29 deaths attributed to landslides, and 35,000 people seeking shelter.
  • Army and border guards are delivering aid to cut-off communities, while authorities have opened shelters amid shortages of food and safe drinking water.

Monsoon rains have triggered devastating flash floods and landslides across Bangladesh, claiming at least 50 lives in the past week and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. Officials reported the grim toll on Sunday as rescue efforts continued.

Two individuals are still missing.

— Mohammed ZiauddinDivisional commissioner providing an update on the number of missing persons in Chattogram.

The low-lying delta nation, inherently vulnerable to such events, is experiencing intensified extreme weather, which scientists link to climate change. In the hardest-hit Chattogram district, 50 fatalities were recorded, including 29 from landslides. Approximately 35,000 individuals have sought refuge in government shelters, facing dire conditions with submerged homes and dwindling supplies of food and clean water.

Rescue operations are underway, with army and border guard personnel using boats to transport essential supplies to isolated communities. The crisis has been compounded by shortages of food and safe drinking water. In one harrowing account, relatives used a bamboo raft to transport the body of a deceased uncle for burial on government land after the local cemetery was inundated.

We placed my uncle’s body on a bamboo raft and swam alongside it in search of a piece of land that was not underwater. Finally, we managed to bury him on government land and held a small funeral prayer.

— NizamuddinNizamuddin describes the difficult circumstances of burying his uncle due to submerged cemeteries.

Last week, heavy rains also caused landslides in Cox's Bazar, affecting Rohingya refugee camps and resulting in 15 deaths. The densely populated camps, situated on cleared hillsides, are particularly susceptible to instability during the monsoon season.

But the monsoon remains active over the northeastern and northern parts of Bangladesh, and there is a possibility of further inundation.

— Sarder Udoy RaihanHead of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on the ongoing monsoon activity.

While the situation in the southeast is expected to improve soon, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre noted that the monsoon remains active in the northeast and north, posing a risk of further flooding. Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have offered condolences to the affected families.

over the tragic loss of lives and the widespread destruction caused by the devastating floods and landslides in Bangladesh

— President Asif Ali ZardariPresident Zardari expresses grief over the disaster.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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