Four of a family die in Sylhet landslide

A hill collapsed onto their house, trapping them

Four members of a family, including two teenagers, have been killed in a landslide in Sylhet’s Golapganj after persistent rain in the area.

The incident occurred in the Bakhtiarghat area around 2am on Saturday, according to Faisal Mahmud Fuad, the Upazila executive officer (UNO).

The four bodies were recovered around 8:30am.

The dead have been identified as Riaz Uddin, 50, his wife Rahima Begum, and their children Samia Khatun, 15, and Abbas Uddin, 13.

Locals say that Riaz’s house was at the bottom of a him. The hill collapsed onto the house, trapping the four of them. Locals heard screams and rushed to help them, but could not make it in time. The bodies were later recovered by the local administration.

Lakshanaband Union Chairman Khalikur Rahman said, “Four people were trapped by a landslide near a union council member’s house in the Bakhtiar area. We began rescue operations with the support of locals. But, due to the risks, we could not proceed.”

“We managed to uncover the heads of three people, but more soil came down and buried them again.”

Moniruzzaman Molla, chief of Golapganj Police Station, said: “Four people have been killed in a landslide. When the incident was reported, we – along with the Fire Service, Army, and Upazila administration – came to the scene and recovered the four bodies. The bodies are being processed for autopsy.”