Key facts
- At least eight Rohingya refugees died in Bangladesh due to landslides.
- Five of the deceased were children.
- The landslides were caused by heavy monsoon rains.
- Makeshift shelters in the refugee camps collapsed.
- Two children were found injured.
- Authorities are relocating refugees from at-risk areas.
Landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains in eastern Bangladesh have killed at least eight Rohingya refugees, including five children, officials reported on Tuesday. Rescuers recovered seven bodies, while an eighth was found by refugees after several hills collapsed from late Sunday to Monday morning in the Cox’s Bazar district.
Officials stated that continuous rain and hillside torrents loosened soil, causing makeshift houses to collapse while residents were asleep. The landslides affected at least four locations across the camps, burying shelters under mud and debris. Two children were found with injuries.
Authorities are in the process of relocating refugees from at-risk hill areas, with approximately 1,000 people already moved. The weather office forecasts more rain in the coming days. Similar landslides between 2021 and 2026 resulted in 36 refugee deaths and at least 86 injuries, according to the UNHCR.
More than one million refugees who fled Myanmar reside in camps in Bangladesh. Renewed fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine state between the military government and the Arakan Army has raised concerns about a potential fresh influx of Rohingya refugees.