Monsoon landslides kill at least 13 Rohingya in Cox's Bazar

A series of monsoon-triggered landslides in southeastern Bangladesh has killed at least 13 Rohingya refugees in recent days, including multiple children, as heavy rains destabilize the precarious hillside settlements that house more than one million displaced people. The latest tragedy struck on Wednesday, July 8, when a landslide buried a makeshift Islamic school, or madrasa, in the Cox’s Bazar district.

Officials confirmed that eight people died in the school collapse, including seven students and one teacher. A teacher at the school, Begum Jahan, described a chaotic scene as the landslide hit while girls were preparing for lessons. She said those on the western side of the building managed to escape, but everyone on the eastern side was buried under debris. Rescue operations involving local residents, volunteers, and emergency services recovered the victims. Five injured children were taken to a hospital. The rescue operation was called off Wednesday evening, though some volunteers expressed concern that more bodies could remain buried.

This incident followed an earlier landslide event from Sunday night into Monday, which killed at least eight refugees, including five...