Cox's Bazar grinds to a halt after monsoon flooding

Heavy rainfall continuing from early Thursday till morning has paralysed low-lying areas of the district as well as the tourist town Cox's Bazar, causing inundation that triggered immense suffering for the public.

Nonstop downpours also induced two separate incidents of landslide that left three persons, including two women and a child, killed.

A landslide happened first in Sikdar Para area of the town in the early hours leaving

Hasan (10), son of Saiful of Sikdar Para, and Jamila Begum (30), wife of Mohammad Karim of East Plyan Kata area, dead.

Another incident of landslide that took place in Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila at 4 pm left Laila Begum killed.

The Meteorological Department recorded 334 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 6 pm on Thursday in Cox's Bazar and predicted heavy to heavy rainfall coupled with gusty wind in the next couple of days.

Sources said incessant downpours started suddenly at midnight and continued till morning, which left flooded most of the areas of the hotel-motel zone of Cox's Bazar.

The monsoon flooding caused by rainfall added to public suffering in nine upazilas of the district, as more than 50 villages in the low-lying areas have been inundated.

It is apprehended that more villages will go under floodwater if the trend of downpours continues.

Rainfall stopped at 8 am but started again around 11 am, triggering food that inundated the streets of Cox's Bazar town and various low-lying areas of the upazilas, causing unbound woes for the public.

Fahim Istehad, a resident of the town, said that due to the faulty drainage system in the Cox's Bazar municipal area, floodwater could not recede, resulting in water logging in different neighbourhoods. Most of the houses in the town reel under floodwater after the downpour.

Residents of Cox's Bazar town are suffering greatly as floodwater has damaged household articles including furniture.

Both flood and rainfall also caused untold suffering for the HSC examinees on way to and from the examination halls.

In inundated villages are mostly in Ramu, Chakaria, Pekua and Teknaf upazilas of the district.

The Mayor of Cox's Bazar Municipality Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury said the normal flow of rainwater is obstructed as some unscrupulous people are occupying the drains and constructing structures there after cutting hills.

He also said that regular operations are being conducted to stop the wrongdoing.

Abdul Hannan, assistant meteorologist of Cox's Bazar Meteorological Office, said that 94 millimetres of rain was recorded in Cox's Bazar from 6 am to 9 am on Thursday.

The deputy commissioner requested the people living on the hilltops and foothills to move to safer places due to the risk of rain-triggered landslides.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran warned that action would be taken against those who would disobey the instruction (of evacuating) of the administration.

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