16 dead in Chattogram flood, three remain missing

At least 16 people had been killed and three remained missing across Chattogram due to floods triggered by incessant rains and landslides over the past one week.  

The District Relief and Rehabilitation Office said houses, crops and businesses have suffered a total loss of Tk 135.15 crore.

Chandanaish, Satkania and Lohagara upazilas of south district have been the worst affected by the floods.

These areas were virtually under water for three days from Monday night. The power was cut off for three days. Traffic was stopped on the Chattogram-Cox‍‍`s Bazar highway as the roads went underwater following days of rainfall.  

Although traffic resumed on the highway on Thursday morning, power has not yet been restored in many areas, officials said.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Saifullah Mazumder said the damages amounted to Tk 135.15 crore till Thursday.

Meanwhile, the bodies of many people who went missing surfaced as the water started receding on Wednesday.  

A total of 16 people  died in five upazilas of Chattogram till Thursday night, said the official.

Saifullah said: “Three are still missing.  Of the deceased, seven died in Satkania, four in Lohagara, two in Chandanaish, one each in Banshkhali, one in Rauzan and one in Chattogram city.”

Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of Chandanaish Police Station Anwar Hossain said that one person is missing in Chandanaish upazila.

Among the flood-affected areas, Satkania, Lohagara and Chandanaish upazilas have been without power for three days. The residents there faced many problems, including the shortage of clean water. 

However, since Wednesday night, the water in these areas has started receding and power has started returning in some places.

Dilip Chandra Chowdhury, senior manager of Chattogram Palli Bidyut Samity-1, said, "So far, electricity connection has been restored in all the upazilas of the south except Satkania. Work is also going on in Satkania and we hope to restore electricity there soon.”

According to district administration sources, 6,35,000 people have been marooned in the district and 6,753 people have been taken to shelter homes.

According to the Patenga Meteorological Office, Chottogram received 664 mm of rainfall in the last seven days. Of these, 42.8 mm rainfall was recorded on August 4, 64.2 mm on August 5, 231.5 mm on August 6 and 216.4 mm on August 7.