Rangamati Correspondent:

Tensions have gripped residents of the hill Rangamati district as the local met office forecast landslides due to continued rainfall under the influence of the monsoon and a low-pressure over the Bay for the past few days.

Despite repeated warnings from the administration to relocate to safer areas, many continue to stay in high-risk zones.

According to the local met office, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Chattogram and adjoining districts due to the active monsoon, increasing the risk of landslides in hilly areas.

Rangamati district authorities said around 20,000 people from 5,000 families are currently living in landslide-prone areas, with 31 spots marked as high-risk zones in the district town.

Deputy Collector (NDC) of the district administration Nabil Nawrose Baishakh said, “The district administration is fully prepared to deal with any disaster. Our response teams are on standby and will be deployed wherever necessary.”

Landslides claimed 120 lives in 2017 and 11 more in 2018 in the district. A major road collapse in 2017 also left the district cut off for nine days.