Cox's Bazar landslides kill 9, including 5 children, at Rohingya camps
Synopsis
Nine people — five of them children — were killed in a single morning as monsoon rains triggered multiple landslides across Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar on 6 July. The toll underscores the chronic vulnerability of over a million refugees living in hillside shelters with no safe relocation options in sight.
Key Takeaways
Nine people were killed in rain-triggered landslides in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh , on 6 July .
Five of the victims were children , the youngest just three years old .
Eight deaths occurred at Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya Upazila ; one person died in Cox's Bazar municipality .
Affected camps include Jamtoli Camp 15 , Kutupalong Camp 7 , and Balukhali Camp 11 .
Ukhiya UNO Panna Akter urged residents in high-risk areas to relocate to safe shelters immediately.
At least nine people, including five children, were killed after heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides across Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in the early hours of Monday, 6 July. Eight of the nine victims died in separate incidents at Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya Upazila, while a ninth person perished in Cox's Bazar municipality, according to local media reports.
The Jamtoli Camp Incident
The first landslide struck the home of Mohammad Kamal Hossain, 44, a Rohingya refugee living in Jamtoli Camp 15 under Palongkhali Union in Ukhiya Upazila. A hillside collapsed onto the dwelling, burying Hossain, his wife Humaira Begum, 39, and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas. Dollar Tripura, Station Officer at the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed that firefighters recovered three bodies and rescued two injured survivors from the debris.
Deaths at Kutupalong and Balukhali Camps
In a separate incident the same morning, a seven-year-old Rohingya boy, Ekram, died when a hillside collapsed onto a shelter at Kutupalong Rohingya Camp 7 in Rajapalong Union. Camp community leader Enayet Ullah said Rohingya volunteers recovered the child's body from the rubble.
Hours later, another landslide hit Balukhali Rohingya Camp 11, killing four people and injuring one. The deceased were identified as Umme Habiba, 27; Tanzina Akter, 13; Mohammad Rihan, 5; and Harunur Rashid, 3.
Fatality in Cox's Bazar Town
A separate landslide in the Chattar Ghona area of Cox's Bazar town trapped three members of the same family beneath debris. Local residents pulled them free and rushed one individual, Ali Akbar, to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Authorities Issue Warnings
The Ukhiya Upazila administration has warned that persistent rainfall has sharply elevated landslide risk across the region. Panna Akter, Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer, was quoted as saying: 'There is a risk of landslides due to the heavy rainfall. The upazila administration is regularly making announcements urging people living in high-risk areas to move to safe shelters. Everyone is requested to follow the administration's instructions.'
This comes amid a broader pattern of monsoon-season landslides that have repeatedly devastated Cox's Bazar's densely populated Rohingya camps, where makeshift shelters on unstable hillsides leave residents acutely vulnerable. Authorities are continuing to monitor conditions as rainfall persists across the district.
Point of View
In shelters that cannot withstand monsoon-season rainfall. Warnings to relocate ring hollow when there is nowhere safe to go within the camps. Bangladesh's administration has repeatedly issued the same advisories year after year; what is missing is a durable engineering and resettlement response. Until the international community and Dhaka treat camp infrastructure as a life-safety emergency rather than a humanitarian afterthought, these deaths will recur with grim regularity every monsoon season.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were killed in the Cox's Bazar landslides on 6 July?
At least nine people were killed, including five children, after heavy monsoon rainfall triggered multiple landslides in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on 6 July. Eight deaths occurred at Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya Upazila and one in Cox's Bazar municipality.
Which Rohingya camps were affected by the landslides?
Three camps were directly hit: Jamtoli Camp 15, Kutupalong Camp 7 (Rajapalong Union), and Balukhali Camp 11, all in Ukhiya Upazila. A separate incident also claimed a life in the Chattar Ghona area of Cox's Bazar town.
Who were the victims of the Balukhali Camp 11 landslide?
Four people died in the Balukhali Camp 11 landslide: Umme Habiba (27), Tanzina Akter (13), Mohammad Rihan (5), and Harunur Rashid (3). One additional person was injured in the same incident.
What have authorities said about the landslide risk in Cox's Bazar?
Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter stated that persistent heavy rainfall has sharply heightened landslide risk, and the administration is urging residents in vulnerable areas to move to safe shelters. Warnings are being broadcast regularly across high-risk zones.
Why are Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar particularly vulnerable to landslides?
The camps house over a million refugees in densely packed, makeshift shelters built on hillsides prone to soil erosion during monsoon rains. The lack of permanent infrastructure and limited safe relocation options leaves residents acutely exposed to landslide risk each monsoon season.
