Landslide at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp leaves one dead, child injured
A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall killed a 19-year-old Rohingya woman and injured a toddler in the Balukhali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the hilly terrain adjacent to D-5 block of Camp-8 East.
Riaz Uddin Ahmed, captain of the 8th Armed Police Battalion (APBn) responsible for camp security, confirmed that the landslide buried a residential shelter as persistent rain destabilized the hillside. The victim, identified as Bibi Hafsa, was the daughter of Chomi Ullah and died at the scene. A three-year-old boy, Abdul Majid, son of Nur Islam, was pulled from the debris by local residents and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The disaster highlights the increasing vulnerability of the refugee settlements, where thousands live in precarious conditions along steep, rain-soaked slopes. Recent bouts of extreme weather have heightened concerns regarding slope stability, with local police and community leaders reporting that at least 14 Rohingya individuals—including five madrasa students—have perished in similar landslides across the Ukhia camps in recent weeks.
As the monsoon season continues to threaten the region, humanitarian agencies and camp authorities are intensifying efforts to relocate residents from high-risk zones. Officials are actively working to discourage living on the slopes of the hills, though the density of the camps remains a significant challenge for ongoing disaster mitigation strategies.
