Several feared buried as landslide hits Cox’s Bazar

Several people are feared trapped after a landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rainfall struck the Dariyanagar area of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, burying houses at the foot of a hill and prompting an urgent rescue operation by emergency responders.

The landslide occurred around midday after hours of incessant rain loosened the hillside, causing a large mass of earth to collapse onto nearby homes. Witnesses said the victims had little time to escape as mud and debris swept through the settlement.

Personnel from the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene shortly after the incident and began search and rescue operations to locate those believed to be buried under the debris. Local residents also joined the rescue effort, using shovels and other basic tools to remove mud in hopes of reaching survivors.

Authorities had not immediately confirmed the number of casualties or those trapped, but officials said the operation would continue until all missing persons were accounted for. The identities of the victims were also yet to be established.

The latest incident comes just a day after a series of deadly rain-induced landslides claimed at least nine lives in Cox’s Bazar district, including eight Rohingya refugees in camps at Ukhiya. Five of the victims were children. The landslides struck multiple locations during the early hours of Monday, burying bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters while residents were asleep. Another Bangladeshi man was killed when a hillside collapsed onto his house in Cox’s Bazar town.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall across southeastern Bangladesh, raising fears of further landslides and flash floods. Authorities have already relocated around 1,000 people from high-risk areas in and around the Rohingya camps, while awareness campaigns are being conducted to encourage residents to move to safer locations.

Cox’s Bazar remains one of Bangladesh’s most landslide-prone districts due to its steep hills, widespread deforestation, hill cutting, and the expansion of settlements on unstable slopes. Every monsoon season, heavy rainfall significantly increases the risk of slope failures, threatening both local communities and the more than one million Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps.

The region has witnessed several devastating landslides over the years. In September 2024, six people were killed in separate landslides in Cox’s Bazar, including three members of the same family in a Rohingya camp. In August 2023, at least six people, including four Rohingya refugees, died in landslides in Cox’s Bazar and neighbouring Bandarban following heavy monsoon rains.

Bangladesh has experienced even deadlier disasters linked to landslides. In June 2017, one of the country's worst landslide tragedies claimed at least 170 lives across Rangamati, Chattogram and Bandarban after days of torrential rain triggered dozens of hill collapses, highlighting the devastating consequences of unchecked hill cutting, deforestation and unplanned settlements in vulnerable areas.

Officials have urged residents living near hillsides to evacuate immediately if rainfall intensifies, warning that saturated soil and continued downpours could trigger additional landslides in the coming days. Rescue authorities said they remain on high alert as adverse weather conditions persist across the district.