Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar
Torrential monsoon rains triggered three separate landslides across overcrowded refugee settlements in Ukhia early Monday, killing eight Rohingya refugees and leaving several others injured. The disasters struck between 1:00 AM and 3:30 AM on July 6, 2026, burying fragile hillside shelters while families were asleep. Local authorities confirmed that heavy downpours dumped over 250 millimeters of rain within a 24-hour window, destabilizing the deforested slopes where thousands of displaced families reside.
The first major incident occurred around 1:30 AM at Jamtoli Camp-15 in Palongkhali union. A massive section of a hill collapsed onto a makeshift shelter, killing three members of the same family. Rescuers identified the victims as Mohammad Kamal Hossain, his wife Humaira Begum, and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas. Emergency workers and volunteers recovered their bodies from the debris, while several other relatives sustained moderate injuries.
Roughly half an hour later, a second landslide struck Kutupalong Camp-7 in the Rajapalong area. The falling earth claimed the life of a seven-year-old child named Ekram. Around 3:30 AM, a third hillside collapse buried another shelter at Balukhali Camp-11. This third impact killed four family members, identified as Umme Habiba, Tanzina Akter, Mohammad Rihan, and Harunur Rashid.
Emergency responders from the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence, alongside the Armed Police Battalion and refugee volunteers, conducted overnight operations to rescue survivors. Personnel transported the injured victims to nearby field hospitals for urgent treatment. The heavy rainfall also caused flash flooding, inundating more than 40 makeshift shelters in Camp-2W and destroying fragile infrastructure.
The continuous downpours raise the immediate threat of additional slope failures across the region. Government administrators have deployed Cyclone Preparedness Programme volunteers to assist affected households and clear waterlogged paths. Officials are regularly broadcasting public safety announcements, urging residents in high-risk hillside sectors to move immediately to safer community structures.
The recurring seasonal disasters emphasize the severe environmental risks confronting vulnerable displaced populations during the annual monsoon period. Local administrative heads stated that teams are working to relocate several thousand high-risk families in planned phases. Safe shelter solutions, hillside reinforcement, and enhanced drainage infrastructure remain critical to preventing further casualties as weather forecasts predict continued heavy rainfall.
