BANGLADESH: A devastating Bangladesh landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed eight people, including seven children and a teacher, at a school inside the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar on Wednesday, highlighting the growing dangers facing displaced families during the rainy season.
According to Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the landslide struck while children were attending class in a temporary school shelter. Four victims died at the scene after being buried under mud and debris, while four others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
Rescue workers and volunteers rushed to the site, digging through thick mud in an attempt to save those trapped beneath the collapsed structure. The incident has doubled the death toll from rain-related disasters in the refugee camps this week after separate landslides killed at least eight people on Monday night.
More than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees currently live in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, making it the world's largest refugee settlement. Most fled neighbouring Myanmar following a military crackdown in 2017 that forced hundreds of thousands to seek shelter in Bangladesh.
Many refugee families live in makeshift homes built on deforested hillsides, where unstable soil becomes highly vulnerable to collapse during periods of intense rainfall. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that the annual monsoon season significantly increases the risk of landslides and flooding throughout the camps.
Bangladesh's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre has warned that heavy rainfall is expected to continue for at least four more days, raising concerns over additional landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas.
Sayed Ullah, president of the United Council of Rohingya, urged authorities and international organisations to relocate refugees to safer locations. He said the repeated tragedies reflect inadequate planning and insufficient coordination in providing secure accommodation for displaced families.
The United Nations has described the Rohingya refugee camp crisis as one of the world's longest-running humanitarian emergencies. The displacement began after Myanmar's 2017 military operation, which led to widespread allegations of killings, village burnings and forced displacement. The crackdown remains the subject of genocide proceedings before the International Court of Justice.
As monsoon rains continue to batter the region, rescue teams remain on alert while humanitarian agencies work to strengthen shelters and protect vulnerable residents from further Bangladesh landslide disasters.
