Heavy monsoon rain has triggered a string of deadly landslides across Cox’s Bazar, killing at least nine people between late Sunday night and early Monday morning. Eight of the victims were Rohingya refugees living in camps in Ukhiya Upazila, while one person died when a hillside gave way onto his home in Cox’s Bazar town.
The disaster struck across four separate locations within a few hours, as saturated hillsides gave way onto homes while residents were asleep. Officials confirmed that five of the nine victims were children.
Families Buried in Their Sleep
The deadliest single incident occurred at Jamtoli Camp-15, where a large section of hillside collapsed onto the home of Mohammad Kamal Hossain around 1:10 am, killing him along with his wife and their four-year-old son. Around the same time, at Kutupalong Camp-7, seven-year-old Ekram died after being buried under mud from a hill torrent.
A third landslide at Balukhali Camp-11 struck near 3:00 am, killing four members of one family, including two young sisters and their two cousins. In Cox’s Bazar municipality, a hillside collapsed onto the Sattar Ghona area home of Ali Akbar, 50, who later died at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.
Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter said the administration was using loudspeaker announcements to urge families in high-risk zones to move to safer shelters immediately.
Rainfall Data and Weather Outlook
Meteorological officials confirmed that the intensity of rainfall over the past day has significantly raised landslide risk across the district.
- Rainfall recorded in Cox’s Bazar over the past 24 hours: approximately 150mm
- Cautionary signal issued for Cox’s Bazar maritime port: local signal No. 3
- Number of confirmed deaths: at least 9, including 8 Rohingya refugees
- Children among the victims: 5
- Locations affected: four separate landslide sites across Ukhiya camps and Cox’s Bazar town
Assistant meteorologist Md Abdul Hannan said a well-marked low-pressure system combined with an active monsoon could bring further heavy rain in the coming days, keeping hilly and camp areas at continued risk.
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Rescue Operations and Ongoing Risk
Fire Service personnel, Armed Police Battalion members, camp volunteers and local residents worked through the night to pull survivors from the debris. Several injured people were hospitalised, and authorities said efforts to relocate at-risk families from unstable slopes were continuing.
A civil defence official from Cox’s Bazar told reporters that rescuers recovered seven bodies, while another was found by refugees. Residents said fear of landslides returns every year once the rains set in, since thousands of shelters in the camps are built on earthen slopes with bamboo and tarpaulin, making them vulnerable during prolonged rainfall.
A Recurring Monsoon Threat
Cox’s Bazar hosts the world’s largest refugee settlement, with over a million Rohingya living in camps built on deforested hillsides after fleeing Myanmar in 2017. Landslides and flooding have become an almost annual hazard during the monsoon season, and authorities have already relocated roughly a thousand refugees from the most dangerous slopes, with plans to move several thousand more in the days ahead. With forecasters warning of continued heavy rain, both camp residents and local municipality dwellers in low-lying or hillside areas are being urged to remain alert and follow evacuation instructions without delay.
Summary
Landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rain killed nine people in Cox’s Bazar, most of them Rohingya refugees in Ukhiya camps. Authorities have issued urgent warnings as more rainfall is forecast in the coming days.
