Sunday 28 June 2015

Flooding and landslides kill at least 21 in Cox's Bazar as monsoon arrives in Bangladesh.

At least 21 people have died in the district of Cox's Bazar in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh following the arrival of the monsoon rains this week. A two-year-old girl is reported to have drowned after falling into water at Pekua Upazila while her family sought shelter from the rains. Two people, named as Subarna Das, 30, and Kamal Uddin, 35, died after being struck by a power line when a flash flood brought down a pole at Chakaria Upazila. Two people including a child also reportedly drowned at Chakaria Upazila, who have been identified as Mohammad Alam, 27, and Mohammad Asif, 7. The body of another child, yet to be identified, was recovered at Koiyarbil, also having apparently drowned. Two other unidentified bodies have been recovered at Chakaria. Two people have also drowned at Upazila Nirbahi, who have been identified as Kamrunnahar Begum, 22, and Tarika Hasnat, 9. At Shamlapur Chhamuda Khatun, 45, and her daughter Shahena Akter, 15, were killed in a rainfall induced landslide (landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids; approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall). 

A house partially submerged by flooding in the Cox's Bazar district of Chittagong. Banglar Chokh/The Daily Star.

Cox's Bazar has a humid climate year round, but still has a distinct rainy season, with an annual average rainfall of 3600 mm, most of which falls in June (average rainfall 780 mm), July (average rainfall 902 mm) and August (average rainfall 706 mm).

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