Flood-related deaths rise to 106

DHAKA (AP):

Searchers pulled out 15 bodies yesterday that had been buried under mud and debris after landslides and floods, caused by monsoon rains in southern Bangladesh, raising the toll to 106 deaths this week.

The landslides occurred mainly in remote villages with poor roads, making rescue work more difficult, and the flooding was disrupting communications. About 500 houses were washed away. More people may be missing, but officials said they don't know how many. Soldiers joined the search for the missing in three hard-hit districts and found 15 victims yesterday.

At least 41 died in Cox's Bazar, 41 in neighbouring Bandarban and another 24 in Chittagong, mostly in landslides, the Disaster Management Ministry said.

Buried huts

Three days of torrential rain in the region of small hills and forests dislodged huge chunks of earth, which buried flimsy huts where families were sleeping late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

In Bandarban, 11-year-old Rafiqul Islam was the only survivor in his family because he was visiting another relative when mud buried his hut. His parents and three siblings died.