In brief
Eight students and a teacher lost their lives after a landslide engulfed a girls’ school in Cox’s Bazar’s Rohingya refugee camp. Monsoon rains amplified the risk, with several similar incidents reported since Sunday. Rescue teams recovered thirteen survivors, though the tragedy highlighted the vulnerability of the makeshift camps. Thousands of Rohingya refugees await better protection as authorities urge evacuations amid forecasted heavy rains.
In a devastating event on Wednesday afternoon, a landslide buried parts of a girls’ school inside the world's largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, killing eight students and a teacher. The UN refugee settlement, home to over one million Rohingya fleeing Myanmar’s 2017 crackdown, was hit by the monsoon‑induced mudslide that left the school house submerged.
Rescuers pulled 13 people from the mud, but eight did not survive. Many of those lost were children aged between seven and twelve, according to district officer Panna Akhter. Five other children were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The disaster follows a string of deadly landslides since Sunday, when heavy rains began saturating the steep hillsides around the camp. Authorities warn that more rain is forecast, urging evacuation of high‑risk areas.
Rohingya refugees live in makeshift tarpaulin shelters on inclines, and the country has struggled to provide basic services. The ongoing monsoon season, coupled with limited infrastructure, continues to threaten the safety of thousands living in the camp.
On the scene, volunteers and aid workers can be seen working together, cutting through thick mud to pull survivors. The image captures the urgency and community spirit as rescue teams push to save others.
