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A second group of 311 tourists stranded in Rangamati’s Sajek Valley safely left the tourist destination under Bangladesh Army escort on Friday.
The Bangladesh Army’s Baghaihat Zone confirmed at 9:00am.
According to the Baghaihat Zone, 311 more tourists departed for Khagrachhari under army escort at around 9:00am on Friday.
The remaining around 100 tourists will be evacuated from Sajek in phases as conditions permit.
Earlier, on Thursday, 150 tourists were evacuated safely with army assistance.
A total of 561 tourists had been stranded in Sajek due to days of heavy rainfall, landslides and disrupted road communication.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have been stranded as floodwaters inundated around 30 villages in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari upazila following heavy upstream inflows.
Around 4,500 people have taken shelter at 16 flood shelters, while low-lying areas of Bilaichhari, Barkal and Juraichhari have also been flooded.
Baghaichhari Upazila Project Implementation Officer Suptashree Saha said floodwaters have submerged almost all areas of the municipality and its eight unions.
The administration is distributing cooked meals and dry food, including rice, lentils, sugar and flattened rice, to those staying at shelters.
Many residents have also taken their livestock to the shelters, although some complained that relief assistance has yet to reach several affected areas.
Heavy rain also disrupted power supply in Rangamati town after two pillars of a 33kV transmission line tilted due to soil erosion, leaving the town without electricity from 8:00pm to 4:00am.
According to the Rangamati Weather Observatory, the district recorded 130 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.
Deputy Commissioner Najma Ashrafi said 104 incidents of landslides were reported across the district, although no casualties have been reported so far. Authorities are continuing efforts to move another 129 families to safety.