Bangladesh relocates Rohingya refugees after landslide kills at least 13 people

Authorities in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh used loudspeakers and a network of volunteers and community leaders to relocate people from risky areas to safety after landslides killed at least 13 refugees in the past few days.

At least five children died on Wednesday when a landslide caused by monsoon rains swept through an Islamic school at a camp in Cox’s Bazar, where more than 1 million Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar live.

A teacher at the Islamic school described the scene from the landslide as chaotic, saying girls at the school were preparing for lessons when part of the building collapsed.

“Those of us who were on the western side managed to get out, but everyone on the eastern side was buried under the debris,” said Begum Jahan, who teaches the Quran.

“Some suffered broken arms, and some of the girls lost their lives,” she said.

People in the refugee camp started rescue operations before emergency services reached the scene, Dollar Tripura, head of the local fire service and civil defence, said on Thursday.

He added that emergency personnel later rescued the injured and recovered the bodies. The rescue operation was called off on Wednesday evening.

Rescue efforts