Landslides fueled by intense monsoon rains have killed at least eight Rohingya refugees, including five children, in southeastern Bangladesh. The downpours have also battered parts of neighboring India, leading to 13 fatalities over the past few days due to flash floods and landslides.
In Bangladesh's Cox’s Bazar district, rescuers recovered seven bodies after hills collapsed in the refugee camps from late Sunday to Monday morning. An eighth body was discovered by refugees. Two children were found injured. The landslides struck at least four locations, burying shelters under mud and debris while residents slept. Authorities are relocating approximately 1,000 people from at-risk areas. The weather office anticipates more rain in the coming days.
This region hosts over 1 million refugees who fled Myanmar. Between 2021 and 2026, similar landslides in the camps resulted in 36 deaths and at least 86 injuries, according to the UNHCR. Concerns have also been raised about a potential new influx of Rohingya refugees due to renewed fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Meanwhile, torrential monsoon rains in India have caused widespread disruption. In the western state of Maharashtra, rain-related incidents claimed at least 13 lives. Landslides in Pune district forced temporary closures of sections of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, impacting traffic between the two cities. The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall and flooding in low-lying areas.
In the northern Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides that damaged roads, disrupted public transport, and isolated several villages. Emergency crews are working to evacuate stranded residents.
India's annual southwest monsoon, which lasts from June to September, is vital for agriculture and water resources but also frequently causes significant flooding and landslides, particularly in the Himalayas and densely populated urban areas with insufficient drainage.