Landslide in Coxs Bazar kills woman as heavy rains trigger regional casualties

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A torrential landslide claimed the life of a 25-year-old woman in the Cox’s Bazar suburbs on Tuesday, as incessant rainfall continues to destabilize the region’s fragile hilly terrain. The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. in the Hajighona area of Jhilongja Union, where a section of the Borochara hill collapsed directly onto a corrugated iron house situated along the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive.

Local officials confirmed that the victim, Lima Akter, was crushed under the debris of her home. Her husband, Jasim Uddin, was rescued by neighbors and rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where he remains under medical care for his injuries. Following the disaster, Fire Service and Civil Defense personnel initiated a search operation to determine if any other residents remained trapped under the soil.

The couple, who had been married for 14 years and were parents to two children, operated a small fried fish stall at the Sugandha Point of the beach to support their family. Residents reported that heavy, sustained rainfall throughout the morning had triggered a series of minor landslides across the Borochara area before the fatal collapse occurred.

The Hajighona and Borochara settlements are primarily home to low-income laborers living in precarious conditions at the base of the hills. Local reports indicate that at least 12 separate landslides have occurred within these two villages over the past 48 hours, causing significant damage to multiple dwellings.

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Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Tahmina Akter stated that authorities have ramped up efforts to relocate residents from high-risk zones, utilizing public address systems to issue evacuation warnings. Administration, police, and fire service teams remain on high alert as the region contends with the mounting threat of further geological instability.

The tragedy follows a deadly period for the district. Between Sunday night and Monday, landslides and collapsing mud walls across Cox’s Bazar—including eight deaths in the Ukhiya Rohingya refugee camps and additional fatalities in the city and Pekua—claimed the lives of at least 10 people.