Landslide blocks road, disrupts traffic in Khagrachhari

Hundreds of tourists are also stranded in Sajek as the roads connecting Khagrachhari and Sajek were submerged by hill runoff

A landslide in Khagrachhari’s Alutila Sapmara area has disrupted traffic between Dhaka and Chattogram.

Many vehicles were stranded on the roads after the incident occurred around 5am on Tuesday.

According to passengers, the Fire Service began to remove the soil from the road after traffic came to a halt.

Around 8am, Maksudur Rahman, executive engineer of the Khagrachhari Road Division, told bdnews24.com: “Fire Service workers have removed the soil from one side of the road. Smaller vehicles are moving on that side. It may take a few hours before the whole road is cleared.”

Meanwhile, severe flooding in Rangamati’s Langadu has disrupted road connectivity to the rest of the country. Merong Market area has also flooded due to the incessant rainfall.

As many as 25 villages in Dighinala’s Merong Union have been flooded due to landslides caused by heavy downpours.

Heavy rains have increased the water level of the Maini River and battered the road connectivity in the region, adding to the suffering of locals.

Mahmuda Begum Lucky, the chairman of Merong Union, told bdnews24.com: “Due to the heavy rain and landslides, 20 villages in Merong Union were flooded last night. Road connectivity has been disrupted due to the flooding in Langadu.”

Furthermore, the onrush of runoff from the hill slopes has submerged several places, including Baghaihat Bazar and Machalong Bazar on the Sajek-Khagrachhari road. Hundreds of tourists are stranded in Sajek as the roads connecting Khagrachhari and Sajek have been submerged.