A 35-year-old housewife died after a sudden landslide buried her kitchen in Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila on Saturday night.
The victim, Rozina Akhter, was preparing dinner at her home in Jhirjhiri Para of Purba Kalatoli when a large section of the adjacent hill collapsed around 10:30 PM.
Hearing her family’s screams, neighbors rushed to help. Fire Service personnel, aided by locals, managed to pull her from the mud and debris after an hour. She was rushed to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where the attending physician declared her dead on arrival.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage among locals and the victim’s family, who blame the landslide on rampant, illegal hill cutting. Rozina’s family, who have lived in the area for decades, stated that reckless excavation directly above their property destabilized the land, turning monsoon rains into a deadly hazard. They are demanding a thorough investigation and strict punishment for those responsible.
Residents expressed deep frustration, noting that fatal landslides occur almost every monsoon due to a lack of administrative oversight regarding illegal hill destruction.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Mohammad Ali assured the public that the incident is under serious investigation. "If the allegations of illegal hill cutting are proven true, strict legal action will be taken against the perpetrators," he stated.
