4 of a family killed in Sylhet landslide

Four members of a family, including two children, were killed in a landslide triggered by incessant heavy rainfall in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet early Sunday, according to the local administration.

The deceased were identified as Riaz Uddin, 50, his wife Rahima Begum, 40, and their children Samia Khatun, 15, and Abbas Uddin, 13. They were residents of the Bakhtiarghat area in Lakhanaband union under the upazila.

Locals said the family had been living at the base of a hillock for a long time. Around 2:45am, a large section of the hill collapsed due to continuous rain and buried their house under debris.

Hearing screams, neighbours rushed to the spot and attempted to rescue the family by removing the soil, but were unsuccessful.

Upon being informed, members of the Fire Service, Army, and police arrived at the scene and, with help from locals, recovered the bodies around 7:00am, said Acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Faisal Mahmud Fuad.

Golapganj Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman said arrangements were underway to send the bodies to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

He added that the prolonged rainfall had likely weakened the hill’s structure, leading to the collapse.

The local administration has urged residents living near vulnerable hillsides to relocate to safer areas to prevent further tragedies. Panic has gripped the area following the incident.