Two children killed in separate landslides in Ctg

Two children were killed in separate landslides in Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila and the city on Wednesday, raising the death toll from landslides in the district to four over the past two days.

The incidents occurred at around 8am in Jangal Salimpur under Sitakunda and at about 1pm in the Chashma Hill area under Panchlaish Police Station.

The deceased were identified as 10-month-old Tanvir, son of Md Main Uddin of Jangal Salimpur, and 12-year-old Sumaiya, daughter of Faruk Hossain of Chashma Hill.

According to police and local residents, a section of a hill collapsed onto a tin-shed house at the foothill in Jangal Salimpur following continuous heavy rainfall, killing infant Tanvir on the spot.

In a separate incident, another landslide struck the Chashma Hill area in the city around 1pm, leaving Sumaiya dead.

Following the incident, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain and senior officials of the district administration visited the site.

Officer-in-Charge of Sitakunda Police Station Mohinul Islam told Daily Sun that Tanvir's mother, Lamia, was breastfeeding the infant when a portion of the hill collapsed onto their house.

"The child died on the spot. Lamia sustained injuries and was rescued before being admitted to the Upazila Health Complex," he said.

Shah Imran, deputy assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence Zone-4, said a firefighting team rushed to the Chashma Hill site after receiving information about the landslide at around 1pm and recovered Sumaiya's body during the rescue operation.

"We have learned that Sumaiya's parents managed to escape from the house, but she was trapped in an adjacent room and died after being buried under the debris," he added.

Meanwhile, four consecutive days of heavy rainfall have severely disrupted normal life in Chattogram. Moderate to heavy rain has inundated several low-lying areas of the city, with floodwater entering homes and businesses, causing widespread suffering for residents.

Due to the adverse weather, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations scheduled for Wednesday in Chattogram district were postponed. Train services on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway route also remained suspended.

According to the Patenga Meteorological Office, 234.9mm of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours until 12pm on Wednesday. The heavy rain is being caused by the influence of a seasonal low-pressure system, with more heavy rainfall forecast over the next 24 hours.