A father and his infant daughter have been killed in a landslide at Sholoshahar IW Railway Colony area in Chattogram on Sunday morning. Two others sustained injuries in the incident.
The incident took place when a huge chunk of mud from the hill fell on a shanty at the foothill near Sholoshahar Railway Station at around 07:10am on Sunday (27 August) following heavy rainfall throughout the night.
Upon receiving information, a local team of firefighters rushed to the spot, the telephone operator at the divisional fire control office said.
"Locals had rescued four people from the house and took them to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment before the rescue team reached", he added.
"The team of firefighters is conducting the operation to rescue the victims from under the mud", the telephone operator added further.
The victims have been identified as Md Sohail, 35 and his 7-month-old daughter Bibi Jannat 7 months. They were seriously injured in the landslide and were rushed to the hospital. The doctor on duty declared them dead when they were rescued from the scene and taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said Noor-e-Alam Ahsiq, in charge of the CMCH Police Outpost.
Thousands of marginalised people are living on the hills slope of the port city. Due to incessant rain, they are at high risk of landslides.
At least 259 people were killed in a number of landslide incidents in the last two decades. On 11 June, 2007, at least 227 people died in seven incidents of landslide in different parts of the city.
The port city has been experiencing incessant rain since Saturday night.
A local resident of the area named nayeem said that four members of a family were at the home.
"When the landslide took place one managed to escape, but others got trapped", he said adding that locals rescued a couple and their daughter in critical condition and rushed to the CMCH where on-duty doctors declared father and daughter dead.
Thousands of marginalised people are living on the hills slope of the port city. Due to incessant rain, they are at high risk of landslides. The port city has been experiencing incessant rain since Saturday night.
Patengya Met Office recorded 83.9 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 6am on Sunday.
