Devastating Landslides Take Lives in Chittagong
Situation Summary:
- According to official information, at least 86 people were killed and over 100 were injured on Monday in mudslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in the hilly port city Chittagong. Non-govt. sources claimed the figure is bit high around 100.
- The rescue work that was suspended yesterday night fearing further incidences of landslides has started again this morning. More dead bodies fear to be laid under the debris/mud.
- It is assumed that more than 500 household are severely affected by the landslides.
- Injured peoples are got admitted at CMH and other city hospitals/clinics.
- The most landslide affected areas are lebubagan at cantonment area, Sekandar Collony at Bhatiary areas under Hathazari police station and Kumira
- The normal life of the city dwellers become paralyzed by the severe water logging. And it is mounted due to disruptions of life line facilities (i.e., gas, electricity, communication and water supply). Inhabitants of low-lying areas took shelter in the educational institutions.
- Sea level has gone up 5-6 ft from the normal
- Indiscriminate hill cutting over the years has led to the disappearance of over one hundred hills and partial destruction of hundreds others in Chittagong city, causing environmental hazards and raising the incidence of landslides.
Two separate control rooms are opened at MOFDM and at Chittagong City Corporation office (phone-634910, 630739, 638024).
Humanitarian Response
GoB:
- The GoB announced Tk. 9 lacs and 200 MT of food grains for the affected people from the Chief Advisers Fund
Ministry of Food and Disaster Management allocated Tk. 15 lacs and dry food (100kg flatten rice and 100kg biscuits)
NGO:
- IFRC/BDRCs decided to address the landslide victims with 500 family kits. BDRCs volunteers took part in the search and rescue with rescuers. They also started doing the initial assessment.
- Action Aid Bangladesh started distributing food assistance among 1800 affected household at Kumira. Action Aid volunteers took part in the search and rescue with fire service workers. AAB also provide search and rescue equipment to Fire Service and Civil Defense. Regards to medical treatment, AAB is working in collaboration with Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
Our member Codec is planned to address the affected people of Kumira with urgent necessities.
Immediate actions needed:
- Dry food/cooked food and drinking water for both landslides affected and waterlogged people. Special need of women and children in terms of food, clothing etc. should be taken care of.
- Makeshift shelter with sanitation facilities for the landslide affected household
- Primary health care support
Psychosocial care by Community Level Workers
Flash Flood Grips North and Northeastern Districts
- The heavy downpour since early Sunday all over the country, except in a few places, disrupted normal life and caused flash-floods in a number of north and northeastern districts.
- Low-lying Upazilas of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Netrokona, Hobiganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts were undergoing flash-floods.
- According to the Flood Forecasting and Storm Warning Centre more areas are expected to be inundated in the next 24 hours due to heavy rainfall.
- Due to on rush of swelling Khoai, submersible embankments have been breached in the Hobiganj
- The Met office recorded the highest amount of rainfall, about 320 millimeters, in Rangpur district in 24 hours until 6am on unday, while the capital, Dhaka, underwent 128 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6pm.
Dhaka has been severely affected due to the torrential rain that caused water-logging in many parts of the city and brought life almost to a standstill for many hours.
Information sources:
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre
(FFWC)
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)
Member Organization-Codec
IFRC/BDRCS
Action Aid Bangladesh
Media reports