Man, his minor child killed in landslide

A man and his seven-month-old girl child were killed and two others — his wife and another daughter — also injured in a rain-triggered landslide at Sholoshahar in the port city on Sunday.

The deceased were identified as Md Sohel, 35, owner of a local tea stall and his minor child Bibi Jannat while the injured are Sohel’s wife Sharifa, 30, and elder daughter Bibi Kulsum, 12.

Sohel along with three members of his family was residing at a tin house at IW Colony at Sholashohor in the city’s Panchlaish area.

Local sources said that the victims were sleeping as usual when a huge chunk of a nearby hill fell on their tin house around 7:30am, leaving them trapped in the landslide.

On information, members of Bayezid Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Station came to the spot and rescued them.

They were rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where the on-duty doctors declared Sohel and Jannat dead, said In-charge of the hospital police outpost Nurul Alam Ashek.

The injured — Sharifa and Bibi Kulsum — were released after primary treatment, he added.

FSCD Chattogram Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Abdullah Harun Pasha said the hill was at least 50-foot tall and had a retaining wall on the top of it.

People live in tin-shed houses on the top of the hill as well as at the foothills in the area, he added.

Due to heavy rainfall, a huge chunk of the hill collapsed on the house resulting in the accident, Harun Pasha said. Abdul Khalek, Railway employee, erected around 100 tin houses there after cutting hills, locals said adding that he (Khalek) rented the houses to people from lower-income group in the area.

Khalek used to harass people who tried to prevent him from building houses there, they alleged.

He fled with his family after the incident.

Earlier, Sharifa protested at erecting the wall along her house, but Khalek didn’t pay heed to the matter.

Local lawmaker Mohiuddin Bachchu, Ward Councillor Morshed Alam, Officer in-Charge (OC) of Panchlaish police station Santosh Kumar Chakma visited the spot following the incident.

A case has been filed with Panchlaish police station in connection with the incident, sources said.

Chattogram district administration and Chattogram City Corporation carried out awareness campaign through (MPA) system in several hilly areas and also conducted evacuation drive to remove the families living under the foothills in Sholoshohor area on Sunday.

Senior Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) N-Uamong Marma Mong said Bangladesh Railway is the owner of the land where the accident took place.

“We have evacuated nearly 50 families residing under the foothills in the area and moved them to a temporary shelter centre,” he added.