103mm rain in 3 hours triggers floods, landslides in Khagrachhari

Heavy rain has flooded low-lying areas in Khagrachhari and disrupted traffic on the Khagrachhari-Dighinala road after landslides.

Subhuti Chakma of the Dighinala weather observation centre said 103mm of rainfall was recorded there in just three hours from 12:30am to 3:30am on Saturday.

He said such a high volume of rain had not been recorded in such a short period during the ongoing season.

The rain has pushed the Maini River above its danger level, flooding low-lying areas in Merung, Kabakhali and Boalkhali of Dighinala.

Water has entered homes in several areas as water levels rose, causing suffering for local residents. Aman paddy fields have also been inundated.

Water is flowing over the Dighinala-Merung road, while landslides have disrupted vehicle movement on the Khagrachhari-Dighinala road.

Mridul Nath, a resident of Jagannath Para in Dighinala's Chowmuhani area, said he woke up to find water inside his home.

"We went to sleep at night. When I woke up in the morning, I saw water had entered the house. Our home was not flooded during the floods at the beginning of last month, but water rose after just three to four hours of rain last night," he said.

He said the nearby hill streams were also carrying a large volume of water.

Local resident Sujit Dey said the rain started suddenly around midnight and continued heavily until dawn.

Lokman Hossain said surrounding areas had been flooded and water began entering his home from around 4am.

The rising Maini River and hill streams have also caused flash floods. Water from Boalkhali stream rose and flooded low-lying areas of Jamtoli.

Ganesh Tripura, a resident of Boalkhali, said everything had been normal at night and there had been little water in the stream.

"Such heavy rain has not been seen this year. It rained continuously for just three to four hours," he said.

He said heavy rain in areas upstream of the stream, including Taiduchhara, had caused the water level to rise and inundate low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, traffic on the Dighinala-Sajek road has been halted by a landslide, and the Roads and Highways Department has begun work to restore communication.

Khagrachhari Roads Division Executive Engineer Sowmya Talukder said vehicle movement was suspended after the road collapsed at the 5-mile and 9-mile points of the Khagrachhari-Dighinala road.

"The section that collapsed is quite large. However, work to remove the soil has already begun. It may take some time to clear the soil," he said.