Staff Reporter:
A youth was killed in rain-induced wall-collapse while some 125 houses were damaged and 6,368 people affected under the influence of the cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ that lashed the country’s coasts on Sunday night and Monday early hours.
The torrential rainfall since Sunday evening caused severe waterlogging inundating most of the low-lying areas of the port city.
Meanwhile, operations at Chattogram Port, Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel were resumed since Monday morning, after the storm crossed the coasts.
Sources said the youth identified as Hridoy, 25, was killed when a boundary wall of an under-construction building collapsed on him during the heavy rainfall in the city’s Chandra Nagar area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station around 9:00 am.
Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Bayezid Bostami Station Officer Md Kamruzzaman told the Daily Sun that on information, they rushed to the spot and recovered the body from beneath the wall.
Body of the youth, a rickshaw-puller by profession, was handed over to police later, he said.
Chattogram District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md Saifulla Mazumder informed that the cyclonic storm Remal left insignificant impacts in Chattogram city and district.
A temporary embankment developed with geo-bag in the city’s Akmal Ali Ghat under Ward no. 29 was breached allowing water inside the Jelepara there. Some houses were inundated by the water.
Besides, some 125 houses were damaged and 6,368 people were affected at different upazilas, including Banshkhali, Sandwip, Anwara and Karnaphuli, during the cyclone, he said.
However, no other incident of breaching embankment and entering water in the locality in the upazilas was reported till Monday afternoon, Saifullah said while talking to the Daily Sun at 3:30pm.
He also informed that some 12,006 people took shelter at 1,045 cyclone shelters opened at the 15 upazilas under the district.
On the other hand, the rain that started on Sunday afternoon intensified in the evening and continued heavily till Monday morning.
Met Office in the city’s Patenga area recorded 241.4mm rainfall in 24 hours till 3:00pm on Monday.
Assistant Meteorologist Ali Akbar Khan of the Met Office said moderate to heavy rainfall over most of the places and very heavy rainfall at some places may take place in the next 24 hours.
He also forecasted that landslide may occur in hilly areas of the Chattogram division due to the heavy rainfall.
The torrential rainfall caused severe waterlogging, submerging the low-lying areas in the city.
Residents of the affected areas including Kapasgola, Katalganj, Chawk Bazar, Prabartak Morr, Dewan Bazar, Badurtala, Sholokbahar, Muradpur, Bahoddarhat, Sholoshahar Gate No.2, Bakolia and Halishahar experienced untold sufferings due to waterlogging.
Water entered the residences, businesses and commercial establishments in the areas.
People, especially, the office goers and garment workers were the worst sufferers of the waterlogging, as the main thoroughfares remained inundated at that time.
The drivers of public transport also charged additional fares from the commuters, many alleged.
Business activities at the city’s largest wholesale markets at Khatunganj and Chaktai were also hampered due to the waterlogging and inclement weather.
Khatunganj Trade and Industry Association General Secretary Syed Sagir Ahmed said businesses came to a standstill due to the inclement weather on Monday.
The buyers, however, didn’t move out for goods on Monday, he said.
On the other hand, the authorities concerned resumed activities at the Chattogram port, Shah Amanat International Airport and the Bangabandhu Tunnel since Monday morning.
Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Mohammad Omar Faruk said they started allowing vessels at the port jetties since afternoon while delivery of containers resumed beforehand.
However, loading and unloading of bulk cargoes at the jetties and outer anchorage were being hampered due to the rainfall and rough sea, he added.
Moreover, the district administration was continuing evacuation of people from the risky hill pockets in the city to ward off casualty in rain-induced hill-slide.
