Eight fatalities occurred due to landslides at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

At least eight Rohingya Muslims, including many children, were fatalities and several others sustained injuries early on Monday due to severe monsoon rains that precipitated multiple landslides at refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, officials reported.

Over 1.2 million Rohingya reside in congested camps in Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee settlement globally, having escaped a 2017 military crackdown in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are labelled as foreigners.

Numerous households reside in improvised shelters constructed from bamboo and plastic sheeting on steep, deforested slopes that are particularly susceptible to landslides during the annual monsoon season.

The landslides struck four sites within the camps, entombing shelters beneath mud and debris while inhabitants slept. A Bangladeshi man was fatally injured and two family members sustained injuries after a section of a hillside crashed into their residence in Cox’s Bazar, according to police reports.

“Eight individuals have perished in landslides triggered by intense rainfall,” stated Tumpa Das, a police official in Cox’s Bazar.

She stated that persistent rainfall has heightened the likelihood of additional landslides, with thousands of refugees still residing on precarious hillsides.“We are expeditiously relocating individuals from high-risk zones to avert further casualties,” stated Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, the Bangladeshi official responsible for refugee assistance and repatriation.

The fatalities occur as intensified combat in Myanmar’s Rakhine State heightens apprehension regarding a new wave of Rohingya refugees across the border. Bangladeshi police have intensified surveillance along the border in response to reports of individuals congregating near the frontier attempting to enter the nation.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted increased precipitation in the forthcoming days, leading authorities to maintain vigilance for potential landslides and flash floods.

Landslides and flooding frequently occur during the monsoon season in refugee camps, resulting in fatalities and destruction of homes, roads, and other infrastructure.

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