Ctg landslide death toll rises to 106

FE Team | Published: June 13, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Rescue efforts are going on

FE Report
The death toll mounted to 106 until Tuesday afternoon from the landslide in Chittagong city and its outskirts caused by Monday's heavy downpour.
Rescuers pulled out 18 bodies from tonnes of mud in the port city.
Officials of the Fire Service and Civil Defence told the FE that the bodies were found in Lebubagan, near Chittagong Cantonment on the outskirts of the city.
However, the business activities that remained mostly suspended Monday, started in full swing Tuesday after the stagnated water receded from most part of the city.
Port operation resumed at the port on the day with loading and unloading of cargoes.
Managing director of Saif Powertec Limited, private operator at the Chittagong Container Terminal, Tarafdar Ruhul Amin told the FE that it had resumed its operation since Monday night when the intensity of rain slowed down.
Fazle Ekram Chowdhury, managing director of Fazlesons Limited, private operator at jetty number nine said his company has also resumed its activities since Monday night.
Power Development Board (PDB) sources said some 24 substations and their feeder units in Chittagong, which were shutdown during the downpour, resumed operations Monday evening.
Nearly two-thirds of the city, including Hathazari, Bakolia, Halishahar and Pahartali areas, remained without electricity as the authorities suspended power supply to the areas for fear of electrocution due to water logging.
The city was experiencing light rainfall throughout the day Tuesday. Only 24 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Chittagong city in 12 hours ending at 6:0 pm Tuesday.
However, city's low lying areas including Chawk Bazar, Bakolia, DC Road, Muradpur, Boharderhat, Halishahar, Halishahar Housing Estate, Boropool, Agrabad Residential area, North Agrabad, Potenga still remained submerged late Tuesday.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed flew into Chittagong Tuesday and distributed relief among the distressed people.
The army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, who flew from Sylhet, also travelled to the city to see the devastation wrought by the landslides.
Communications adviser M.A. Matin arrived in the city early Tuesday by train to oversee the operation. He had a meeting with the officials of the district administration.
He also visited the injured people at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital.
Experts say the landslide occurs due to indiscriminate felling of trees and cutting of hills.
They have been warning about disastrous consequences as a result of the government's failure to stop the illegal cutting of hills for housing.
While talking to the FE, founder Chairman of the department of Geography and Environment Studies at Chittagong University Dr Shahidul Islam said indiscriminate cutting of hills is main reason behind such tragedy.
There are around 50,000 low-income group reside at the valleys and foot of the hills in the port city. There are several hundred hills in the port city.
Dr Islam, who recently conducted a research on hills and earthquake, told the FE that he identified 65 hills as most vulnerable both for landslide and quakes.
"I am not surprised at the death toll as we earlier identified the areas as vulnerable and suggested to take immediate measures to save the lives," Dr Islam added.
He said: "The government should take immediate step, if possible tonight (Tuesday) to stop the leveling of hills at the port city to save the lives of peoples and the environment as well."
Sources at the port city said a large number of real estate developers including Chittagong City Corporation had removed earth from hill-tops indiscriminately in the city to develop housing estates.
Apart from this, some influential peoples in connivance with the local administration have been selling sand from the hills needed for construction purposes for long.
Sources claimed around 100 hills have already been leveled over the past few decades.
Meanwhile, the educational institutions remained closed due to the catastrophic situation.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three.
All river ports have been asked to hoist signal number two.
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to keep close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.