Chittagong landslide: Death toll rises to 143

At least 143 people, including several officers and Army personnel, have been killed in the landslides activated by heavy rainfall in Rangamati, Bandarban, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts as of Thursday morning.

According to The Daily Star, over 105 fatalities have been reported in Chittagong's Rangamati and 26 have been reported in the district.

Experts suggest that the reason behind the increasing number of landslides in the hills is government's policies regarding the CHT, severely leading to environmental degradation.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts saw over 300 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Chittagong alone experienced 222 mm of rain during the same period.

None of these areas has seen such rain in recent years, said Reaz Ahmed, Director General of the Disaster Management Department.

-ANI