Toddler slips into floodwater unnoticed as family shelters on bed in Chakaria

A two-and-a-half-year-old boy drowned after slipping into floodwater inside his family’s home while everyone was sheltering on a bed to escape rising floodwaters.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning in Maij Kakara village under Kakara union of Chakaria upazila in Cox’s Bazar. The victim, Mohammad Wakim, was the son of Soltan Ahmed and Parvin Akter. He was laid to rest at a local graveyard in the afternoon.

According to local residents, continuous heavy rainfall over the past three days has inundated Kakara and several other areas of Chakaria. Flash floodwaters began entering homes from around 4:00 am on Thursday.

As water levels rose, Soltan Ahmed’s family hurriedly moved furniture and took shelter on a bed. At around 11:15 am, the family had their meal while remaining on the bed, focusing on coping with the flooding.

After lunch, no one noticed when Wakim slipped off the bed into the floodwater inside the house. A short while later, his body was seen floating in the water.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, Soltan Ahmed said, “We all had breakfast on the bed, and Wakim’s mother fed him there too. Although we were all on the bed, we didn’t realise when he fell into the water. When we started looking for him, we found his body floating.”

Kakara Union Parishad Administrative Officer Kawsar Jannat Kumkum confirmed that the child died after drowning in floodwater. She said the upazila executive officer visited the family and offered condolences.

Five consecutive days of heavy rainfall have left vast areas of Chakaria under water. Before the child’s death, two children were killed in a landslide in Boroitoli union at around 3:00 am on Wednesday.

More than 100 villages across Boroitoli, Surajpur-Manikpur, Kakara, Harbang, Kaiyarbil, Dulahazara, Khutakhali, Fasiakhali, Lakkhyarchar and Chakaria pourasava are now submerged. Although more than 50 villages had already been inundated over the past two days, another 50 villages went under water after 3:00 am on Wednesday.

By Thursday afternoon, floodwater had also entered residential areas in Harbang’s Noapara after a canal embankment collapsed, inundating homes in at least seven villages. Govindapur in Boroitoli union is completely submerged, and many residents from affected areas have taken shelter with relatives or moved to higher ground.