Bangladesh floods death toll hits 50, thousands displaced

Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people in Bangladesh in the past week, officials said Sunday. Tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes. Army and border guard personnel have been ferrying food and water by boat to cut-off communities in the southeast.

How many people have died in the Bangladesh floods?

At least 50 people have died in Chattogram district, the worst-affected area, in the past week. Of those, 29 were buried by landslides, divisional commissioner Mohammed Ziauddin said. Two people remain missing, and around 35,000 people have sought shelter in government-run centers.

Why is Bangladesh vulnerable to monsoon flooding?

Bangladesh is a low-lying delta nation criss-crossed by rivers, making it highly vulnerable to floods and landslides during the monsoon season. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. That vulnerability was evident in Chattogram, where floodwaters submerged homes, kitchens and even a local cemetery.

Mohammed Forkan's family could not bury him beside his parents because the cemetery was underwater. His nephew, Nizam Uddin, said the family placed his uncle's body on a bamboo raft and swam alongside it to find dry land. They eventually buried him on government land after a small funeral prayer.

What is the situation in the Rohingya refugee camps?

Landslides in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar killed 15 people last week. More than 1.2 million refugees live in congested shelters on hillsides that were cleared of trees, leaving the land unstable during monsoon rains. Authorities have opened around 4,000 shelters for displaced residents across the affected regions.

Will the flooding in Bangladesh improve soon?

Sarder Udoy Raihan of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said Sunday the situation in southeastern districts was likely to improve soon. He warned that the monsoon remains active over the northeastern and northern parts of Bangladesh. Further inundation remains possible in those areas, he said.