DHAKA, 14 June (BelTA - Xinhua) - Landslides in Bangladesh's hilly southeastern region have killed at least 125 people and damaged hundreds of homes, said an official Wednesday.
Heavy rains since Monday morning swept through Bangladesh's three southeastern districts - Chittagong, Bandarban and Rangamati - and triggered huge landslides early Tuesday.
Disaster Management Ministry official GM Abdul Quader said that they received highest casualty information from Rangamati district, some 391 km from capital Dhaka.
Scores of people were hurt and some people including a soldier still remained missing.
Rangamati Police Chief Sayeed Tarikul Hassan told Xinhua that rescue operation is still underway.
He said flood caused by the incessant rain inundated many areas of the Rangamati since Monday.
Rescue teams, using shovels and bare hands, are still searching for more bodies under tons of mud and debris, he said.
But rescue operations were delayed due to bad weather.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts saw over 300 mm of rainfalls in the 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced after unusually heavy rain on Monday triggered a string of mudslides.
