2 more bodies recovered in Rangamati, death toll hits 156

Bodies of two more landslide victims were recovered at Dumdumia in Jurachhari upazila in the district on Saturday morning, raising the death toll to 156 in five southeastern districts.

Bodies of a woman and a man were recovered from the rubble and mud this morning when fire service men resumed the rescue operation for the 5th consecutive day following demand of local people, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rashed Iqbal Chowdhury.

The identities of the deceased could not be known yet.

Bangladesh Army and Fire Service earlier on Friday evening officially declared the end of the rescue operation in the district, he said.

The engineering core of Bangladesh Army have been working to restore the vehicular movements on Rangamati-Chittagong road, Rangamati-Khagrachhari road, Rangamati-Baraichhari road and Rangamati-Kaptai road as those remained shut since Tuesday due to the disastrous landslides triggered by incessant rains.

Till now, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated from the risky hilly slopes and taken to shelter centres in the district.

With this, a total of 112 people, including five army men, were killed in Rangamati, which was hit hardest by the landslides, while 34 in Chittagong, six in Bandarban, two each in Cox's Bazar and Khagrachhari.

Meanwhile, the rescue operations in Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and Chittagong ended three days back.

Source: unb