2007 Chittagong mudslides

2007 natural disaster in Chittagong, Bangladesh January 2014 May 2024 thumb|right|270px|Location of Chittagong The 2007 Chittagong mudslides (bn ২০০৭ চট্টগ্রাম ভূমিধস) occurred in the port city of Chittagong in south-eastern Bangladesh. On 11 June 2007, heavy monsoon rainfall caused mudslides that engulfed slums around the hilly areas of the city. Experts had previously warned the increasing likelihood of landslides due to the Bangladesh government's failure in curbing the illegal hill cutting taking place in Chittagong.Roy Pinaki 12 June 2007 Mindless hill-cutting caused mudslide https://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/06/12/d7061201033.htm The Daily Star Extent of the disaster One third of Chittagong, a city of five million residents, came under water due to heavy rainfall and tidal water in early June 2007.Landslides kill 30 in Bangladesh http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20070611091822464C989481 IOL South Africa Agence France-Presse 11 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20121005160710/http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/landslides-kill-30-in-bangladesh-1.356964 5 October 2012 dead The flash floods in the hills caused mudslides and rubble to bury shanties at the foot of the hills near Chittagong Cantonment.Mansoor Osman Gani 12 June 2007 Lightning, mudslides kill 78 in Bangladesh https://archive.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/06/12/lightning_mudslides_kill_78_in_bangladesh/ Boston Globe Associated Press Many residents took refuge in local mosques after losing their homes in the disaster. The death toll was reported to be at least 128, including at least 59 children, with more than 150 injured.Strong action against mentors of hill cutting: 8000 people to be evacuated http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_36828.shtml The New Nation 15 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927175611/http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_36828.shtml 27 September 2007 dead.Death toll now 123 in Ctg mudslides https://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/06/14/d7061401149.htm The Daily Star 14 June 2007Walls of mud turn Ctg into city of death https://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/06/12/d7061201011.htm The Daily Star 11 June 2007Bangladesh landslides, rain kill 68 people, Reuters, 11 June 2007.Floods, landslides claim 52 in Bangladesh http://nationmultimedia.com/worldhotnews/read.php?newsid=30036551 The Nation Bangkok Agence France-Presse 11 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070929120541/http://nationmultimedia.com/worldhotnews/read.php?newsid=30036551 29 September 2007Rain-triggered mudslide kills 39 in Bangladesh http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/303b19022816233b/id/255874/cs/1/ Malaysia Sun 12 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235225/http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/303b19022816233b/id/255874/cs/1/ 27 September 2007 This was expected to rise further as the rescue efforts got underway and additional reports were received. The government asked the local authorities to evacuate 8,000 people from Lebubagan, the worst hit area. The country-wide death toll from the floods and landslides neared 130 on 15 June, according to Reuters.Bangladesh landslide toll reaches 128, may rise https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSDHA82677/ Reuters 15 June 2007 Most of the deaths were a result of the landslides or from buildings collapsing in the rain.Floods in Bangladesh https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/18488/floods-in-bangladesh NASA Earth Observatory en 12 June 2007Floods in Bangladesh https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/18488/floods-in-bangladesh Communication infrastructure was badly affected with telephone links with the rest of the country and within the city inoperable. Kalurghat Radio Station had to be shut down as its offices were submerged in six feet of water. Flights to the city's Shah Amanat International Airport, were suspended and the Chittagong Port, serving 90% of the country's foreign trade, was closed.Businesses come to a rain halt https://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/06/12/d7061201022.htm The Daily Star 12 June 2007 Disaster management Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed and his Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed remained in touch with the local administration to keep abreast of ongoing developments and the government approved Tk 9 lakh to assist the victims. This was the first natural disaster to befall the country since the caretaker government was put in place in January 2007. Causes of the disaster thumb|300px|Rainfall totals over Bangladesh from 4 through 11 June 2007, based on measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. The heaviest rainfall, of up to 500 mm (20 inches), is shown in red. Orange, yellow, green and blue indicate rainfall up to 400, 300, 200 and 100 mm respectively. Bangladesh's annual monsoon for 2007 started with unusually heavy rain, intensified by a storm from the Bay of Bengal on 9–10 June 2007. By 11 June, more than one-third of the southeastern coastal city of Chittagong was under water, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition to the floods, the rains triggered devastating landslides in the deforested hills on which the city is built. Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Mukhlesur Rahman blamed hill cutting for the disaster.Floods, landslides kill dozens in Bangladesh http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1948143.htm ABC News 12 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070614051621/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1948143.htm 14 June 2007 Lalkhan Bazar, one of the worst damaged areas in the mudslide, has been identified as one of the most affected by hill cutting led by influential people. Professor of geography and environmental studies in Chittagong University Shahidul Islam explained, "The only reason for Monday's mud slide in the cantonment area is cutting hills indiscriminately... We were warning about this risk for decades, and this event our fears real." Architect Jerina Hossain said, "Cutting hills made the soil slippery and loose. As a result, it came down with the rain."Choudhury Iqbal Hossain 13 June 2007 bn:পাহাড়ে বিভীষিকা bn Chutir Dine Prothom Alo 403 4–6 Communications adviser of the Bangladesh government Major General MA Matin supervising the rescue operation on behalf of the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed directed Chittagong divisional and district administration to identify those responsible for hill cutting on 14 June.Matin orders affirm stop to hill cutting http://www.theindependent-bd.com/hotnews.php?nid=2657 The Independent Dhaka 14 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070928155753/http://www.theindependent-bd.com/hotnews.php?nid=2657 28 September 2007 Other areas In the same monsoon onslaught other areas in Bangladesh suffered in varying degrees. In the nearby town of Comilla, to the north, 60,000 people were rendered homeless and in the adjacent district of Cox's Bazar, to the south, 400,000 people were marooned in floods.http://www.adrc.or.jp/view_disaster_en.php?Lang=en&Key=52&Frame=yes ADRC Disaster Report Asian Disaster Reduction Center 12 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031740/http://www.adrc.or.jp/view_disaster_en.php?Lang=en&Key=52&Frame=yes 28 September 2007 Three more people were injured in another mudslide in the nearby hill town of Rangamati to the east, where Kaptai Lake became dangerously overflooded to threaten a 230 megawatt hydro-electric plant.http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?id=4714&method=full Millions marooned by floods in Bangladesh The Heat is Online 12 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000344/http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?id=4714&method=full 28 September 2007 On the day of the mudslide in Chittagong, 11 people died in lightning strikes in Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and Brahmanbaria districts around the disaster damaged areas. References External links In pictures: Bangladesh floods. BBC News. Category:Landslides in Asia Category:Natural disasters in Bangladesh Category:2000s in Chittagong Chittagong mudslides Category:June 2007 in Bangladesh Category:2007 disasters in Bangladesh