Gumti flood protection embankment collapses affecting hundreds in Cumilla

The flood protection embankment along the Gumti River in Cumilla has collapsed due to excessive rainfall and water inflow from India late Thursday, affecting hundreds of families, said authorities.

The fall of the dam occurred around 11:45pm in Burichang upazila, specifically in Buraburia area of Sholnall union.

Water began to inundate local areas following the dam collapse, Cumilla Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman confirmed on Friday.

He informed that water had been seeping through the dam since the last evening, and despite local efforts to manage the situation using sandbags, the dam ultimately gave in around midnight with at least 300 feet of the structure collapsing.

Responding to the situation, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saida Akhter said that several unions, including Sholnall, Pirjatrapur, Sadar and others under the upazila are getting affected by flooding.

She informed that they alerted locals to take refuge considering the situation.

Officials from the Water Development Board informed that the Gumti River reached the danger level by 113 centimeters on Thursday afternoon, breaking a 27-year record.

In 1997, the river had exceeded the danger level by 96 centimeters. The recent surge in water levels has broken all previous records, indicating an unprecedented flood risk in the region.