Landslide warnings in five Chattogram districts

The region may see heavy to very heavy rain until Saturday

A special landslide warning has been issued for Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and Bangladesh’s three hill districts.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued the warning on Wednesday night.

It said a well-marked low over northwestern Madhya Pradesh and adjacent areas, combined with a strong monsoon winds over the north Bay of Bengal, could bring heavy to very heavy rain to Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Chattogram, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari districts from Thursday to Saturday.

According to forecast models, between 200mm and 500mm of rain may fall in the five districts during this period.

The warning has identified high-risk areas for landslides.

They are Teknaf, Ukhiya and Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazilas, Chattogram Corporation's Ward No. 7 West Sholoshahar, No. 8 Shulakbahar, No. 9 Uttar Pahartali, and No. 14 Lalkhan Bazar, Bandarban's Naikhongchhari, Lama and Bandarban Sadar Upazila, and the Rangamati and Khagrachari districts.

Asked about the situation, Md Abdur Rahman Khan, deputy director of the Meteorological and Geophysical Center, Chattogram, told bdnews24.com: "Landslide warnings have been issued since the heavy rains began at the start of the week.

“A special landslide warning was issued last night based on mathematical model data.

"Maybe the rain is a little less intense now, but there will be more rain.

The soil in the hills of these areas has softened due to the rains of the last few days, so the risk of landslides has increased."

The Patenga Met Office recorded 171.6mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday and 192.6mm of rainfall till noon.

On the other hand, the city's Ambagan Met Office recorded 336mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday and 219mm of rainfall to noon.

After easing for several hours, heavy rain resumed in the port city around 12:30pm on Thursday.

Between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, five people were killed in two separate landslides in the Mission Para area of Bandarban’s Lama and two children died in a landslide in Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria.