Mother and two daughters killed by landslide in Cox’s Bazar

A landslide claimed the lives of a mother and her two young daughters, in the early hours of Sunday in the Jarulbonia Segunbagicha area of Shilkhali Union, Pekua Upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

The incident occurred around 3am when a large chunk of soil, loosened by continuous heavy rainfall, collapsed onto the tin-roofed home of Sarwar Alam, located at the foot of a hill. 

The victims, identified as Momtaz Begum, 32, and her daughters, Toha, 8, and Moyna,13, were sleeping inside the house when the landslide struck, burying them under the debris.

Local authorities, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Saiful Islam Joy, reported that heavy rains had been lashing the area intermittently throughout Saturday, intensifying to continuous downpours from midnight onwards. This led to the collapse of the hillside, resulting in the accident.

“Although local residents rushed to help after hearing the family’s cries for help, they could not rescue them. Later in the morning, when the Upazila administration and fire service personnel arrived at the scene, they recovered the bodies of the mother and her daughters,” the UNO said.

He added that the bodies of the victims remain at their home, and legal actions have been taken regarding the incident.