5 killed in landslides while asleep in Bandarban’s Lama

Five members of two families were killed in separate landslides in the same area of Lama Upazila in the hill district of Bandarban while they were asleep early on Thursday.

The victims included a man, his wife and their five-year-old son from one family, and a man and his wife from another.

Bandarban Superintendent of Police Md Wahabul Islam Khandaker confirmed the deaths to Prothom Alo on Thursday morning.

"Five people, including a child, were killed in two separate landslides in the same area of Lama. The bodies have been recovered, and the necessary legal procedures are under way," he said.

According to police, the first incident occurred at around 4:00 am in the Mission Para (Paglir Jhiri) area of Aziznagar Union in Lama Upazila. A landslide buried the family home, killing Md Yunus, 40, his wife Ranu Akter, 35, and their five-year-old son, Md Soleman, as they slept.

Local residents rushed to the scene after hearing a loud noise. Fire Service personnel and police later recovered the three bodies from beneath the debris.

About an hour and a half later, at around 5:40 am, a second landslide struck the same Mission Para area.

The collapse buried Md Jewel, 34, and his wife Kulsuma Akter, 25, beneath earth and the wall of their single-storey brick-built house while they were asleep. Local residents, firefighters and police recovered their bodies.

Police said the bodies had been recovered and that the necessary legal formalities were under way.

According to the district police, the continuing heavy rainfall has significantly increased the risk of further landslides across Bandarban. Authorities also warned of the possibility of additional flooding, disruption to daily life and damage to road communications.

Police said some residents living in high-risk areas remain reluctant to move to designated shelters despite repeated warnings. Efforts to relocate them to safer locations are continuing.

Authorities have also stepped up intelligence monitoring of the overall situation in Lama Upazila and are closely watching for any further deterioration.

The administration has urged people living at the foot of hills and on vulnerable slopes to move to safer locations as persistent rainfall continues.