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At least three Rohingya madrasa students were killed after a rain-triggered landslide buried a madrasa in Camp No. 5 in Ukhiya on Wednesday afternoon, while rescue operations continued amid fears that more children remained trapped beneath the debris.
The landslide struck the madrasa in Sub-block A/3 of Camp-5 at around 2:00 pm after days of heavy monsoon rain weakened the hillside, officials said.
Fire Service personnel, camp authorities and volunteers launched rescue operations immediately after the collapse. Two units of the Fire Service were deployed to the scene.
Ukhiya Fire Service official Dollar Tripura initially said three bodies had been recovered and warned that the death toll could rise as the search continued. Local residents claimed that more than 20, and possibly around 30, students were inside the madrasa when the hillside collapsed, although officials could not immediately confirm the number.
Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan said rescue teams were continuing efforts to locate anyone still trapped under the mud and debris.
The latest tragedy comes just two days after a series of rain-induced landslides killed eight Rohingya refugees, including women and children, in several camps in Ukhiya, prompting authorities to relocate vulnerable residents from high-risk hillside areas. Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue, keeping the threat of further landslides high.