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At least seven female students were killed after a rain-triggered landslide buried a madrasa and hifz centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhiya on Wednesday, with rescue workers fearing more victims remain trapped under the debris.
The incident occurred at around 2:00 pm in Block A-3 of Camp-5 after a large section of a rain-soaked hillside collapsed onto the religious school amid days of heavy monsoon rainfall.
The identities of the victims could not be confirmed immediately.
Residents, volunteers and members of the Fire Service launched a joint rescue operation, digging through mud and debris in search of survivors. Authorities said the death toll could rise as the operation continues.
Camp resident Mohammad Mostafa said between 30 and 50 girls were attending classes when the landslide struck. Some local sources claimed as many as 80 to 100 children were inside the madrasa, although officials have yet to verify the figure.
Witnesses said a few students managed to escape as the hillside gave way, while most were buried under mud and rubble. At least 10 students were rescued alive in the initial phase of the operation.
Camp-in-Charge (CiC) Mohammad Abdur Rauf confirmed the incident, saying five bodies had initially been recovered and six injured students were taken to hospital. Rescue efforts were continuing as more students were believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
The latest tragedy comes just days after a series of landslides triggered by heavy rain killed eight Rohingya refugees in Camps 7, 11 and 15 in Ukhiya.
The deadliest of those incidents occurred at the Jamtoli Camp-15, where a massive landslide buried a house, killing Mohammad Kamal Hossain, 44, his wife Humayra Begum, 39, and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas. Seven other family members were inside the house at the time, and one teenage girl was injured.
Separate landslides later claimed the lives of a seven-year-old boy in Kutupalong Camp-7 and four members of the same family in Balukhali Camp-11.
Heavy rainfall has continued across Cox’s Bazar in recent days, prompting authorities to warn of a high risk of further landslides in the hilly Rohingya camps and surrounding areas. Rescue and monitoring operations remain underway.
