* 3 more found dead, 5 remained missing
* Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban still disconnected
* 80% of Bandarban town under water
* 15,000 affected in Feni’s Fulgazi and Parshuram
* 4,500 taken to shelter centres in Rangamati
The flood situation in Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Feni and Rangamati districts worsened further on Wednesday even though there was less rain than on previous days.
The worsening floods added to the woes of hundreds of thousands of people already troubled by the waterlogging.
Road communication with Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts of Chittagong division still remained suspended as water was flowing over the highway in Chandanaish.
Meanwhile, amid reports of floodwaters receding in Chittagong’s worst-affected upazilas, three bodies were recovered in Lohagara, Raozan and Satkania upazila on Wednesday.
As of last night, Chittagong saw five deaths due to the flash floods caused by heavy downpour for the past few days. Earlier, two students drowned in Hathazari and Lohagara on Monday and Tuesday.
Businessman Shahed Hossain Babu, 35, was found dead in a canal of Raozan’s Madunaghat area early Wednesday morning, some 36 hours after he was washed away in the Halda River.
The body of Tanvir Uddin, 20, was recovered from a swamp in Satkania Municipality in the afternoon, over a day after he drowned in a nearby canal.
On the other hand, grocer Idris Mia, 60, who was swept away in front of Satkania Government College while en route to Chittagong city on Tuesday afternoon, remained missing as of last night.
Meanwhile, a boat capsized in Satkania, resulting in four people, including three children, going missing Wednesday morning. The boat was carrying eight people. The incident took place in South Charati village of Charati Union in the upazila.
In Lohagara’s Padua Union, 65-year-old Ahsab Mia, who had been unaccounted for since Tuesday afternoon, was found dead Wednesday morning.
Bandarban battered
The flood situation in Bandarban has improved slightly, but some of its low-lying areas were still submerged, causing locals to continue to suffer due to services like electricity, internet and drinking water supply being down in the city.
Meanwhile, nearly 80% of houses, government offices, markets and shelter homes in Bandarban were submerged till Tuesday. Many spent the night with their belongings on the roofs of their houses without shelter.
Due to waist-high water on roads, the movement of people and vehicles has been halted.
Deputy Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said they were providing food, water and medication to those who came to the shelters.
Situation in Cox’s Bazar
All 25 unions of Chakaria and Pekua upazilas have been submerged by the flash floods.
Since Tuesday night, water has receded in some areas of Chakaria, but new areas on the downstream side have been inundated by the water from upstream.
Although floodwaters have receded in some elevated areas of Chakaria, several settlements have been submerged in floodwater in coastal areas of Pekua upazila.
Hundreds of thousands of people in these areas are still marooned in water.
In the last six days, seven people have died in Chakaria, Pekua, Ramu and Rohingya camps after being washed away by landslides and snakebites.
All educational institutions in the flood-affected areas of Chakaria and Pekua upazilas have been closed. These educational institutions have been declared shelters for flood-affected people.
Feni still grappling
The flood situation worsened in Fulgazi and Parshuram upazilas of the district on Wednesday, directly affecting at least 15,000 people.
At least 16 villages went underwater mainly after the heavy shower on Monday night.
Paddy on 300 and 165 hectares of land in Fulazai and Parshuram upazilas has been completely damaged by the floodwater.
Rangamati suffering
The flood situation worsened in Rangamati on Wednesday as water from upstream inundated numerous low-lying regions, leaving nearly 35,000 people marooned.
Many houses in Baghaichhari, Juraichhari, Belaichhari and Barkal upazilas have been flooded.
According to the district administration, there were 4,500 people in 242 shelters on Wednesday.
The ongoing floods have also affected many districts, mainly Bagerhat and Patuakhali.
Several thousand shrimp enclosures have been damaged in Bagerhat.
In Patuakhali, the erosion of Lohalia River has taken a severe turn, putting the local launch station in Dharandi of Sadar upazila under threat.