Five Rohingya Students Killed in Tragic Ukhiya Landslide

A devastating landslide triggered by heavy rains has claimed the lives of at least five madrasa students at a Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. The disaster occurred at around 2:30 PM on Wednesday, 8 July, when a massive chunk of a hillside collapsed onto an Islamic religious school in Block 5 of the camp. Rescue workers are working frantically under the debris to locate several other students who remain missing.

According to local accounts, approximately forty students were inside the makeshift madrasa structure when the mud and rocks came crashing down. The fragile building, unable to withstand the immense weight of the earth, collapsed instantly, trapping dozens underneath. Upon receiving reports of the disaster, two specialised units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene to lead the search and recovery operations.

The Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Mo. Mizanur Rahman, confirmed the fatalities and detailed the ongoing emergency response. He stated that police units and fire service personnel deployed immediately to initiate rescue work. He also noted that because of the chaotic nature of the collapse, an exact number of missing students could not yet be verified with absolute certainty. Emergency teams, aided by local Rohingya volunteers, are manually digging through the heavy mud to ensure any survivors can be pulled out safely.

The refugee settlements in Ukhiya and Teknaf are highly vulnerable to seasonal landslides. Built on carved hillsides with loose, sandy soil, these densely populated camps face severe structural risks every monsoon season. Deforestation and the temporary nature of the shelters, which are constructed primarily of bamboo and tarpaulin, significantly heighten the peril for hundreds of thousands of displaced residents. A profound sense of grief has engulfed Block 5 as families wait by the debris, hoping for news of their missing children.