Six, including 4 children, drown in flood waters in Cox's Bazar

Bodies of at least six people, including four children, who drowned amid the flood in Pekua and Chakaria upazilas of Cox's Bazar, have been recovered.

The children have been identified as Md Jishan, 9, son of Md Emran of ward 7 of Badarkhali union of Chakaria; Tahida Begum, 10, and Amir Hossain, 7, children of Nurul Alam of Ujantia union of Pekua upazila, and their relative Saber Ahmed's daughter Humaira Begum, 8.

Besides, a team of Fire Service and Civil Defence also recovered the body of Mohammad Asif, 19, from the Rampur railway line area with the help of local people today.

However, another body could not be identified as it was in a half-decomposed state.

Locals informed police after they discovered a floating body in Maheshkhali Canal of Chakaria's Khutakhali union this afternoon, Chakaria police station Officer-in-Charge Javed Mahmood said, adding that police later recovered the body and sent it to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue.

Among the four children, Jishan's body was found next to the new market of Reruakhali area of Badarkhali Union, at 10am on Thursday, said Chakaria police station OC Md Javed Mahmood.

He said that Md Jishan was playing in the flood water in Badarkhali on Wednesday morning. At that time, he was swept away by the current of flood water. Local people recovered his dead body from Goakhali on Thursday morning after much searching.

Confirming the truth of the incident, Badarkhali Union Parishad Chairman Nur Hossain Arif said that arrangements are being made to bury the body.

Pekua Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Purbita Chakma has confirmed that the bodies of three children were recovered from the Sahebkhali canal in Ferasingapara of Ujantia Union of Pekua at around 8am on Thursday.

Chairman of Ujantia Union Parishad Tofazzal Karim said that on Wednesday afternoon, three children went for a visit to their paternal aunt's house next to Sahebkhali canal. On their way home in the evening, they fell into the Sahebkhali canal and they went missing.

Their bodies were found in the canal around 7am on Thursday. The bodies of three children have been recovered and preparation of burial have been taken.

Meanwhile, Asif went missing from his home in East Bara Veola on Wednesday evening after being swept away by flood water. His body was recovered on Thursday evening, Farhana Afrin Munna, chairman of Purba Baroveola confirmed to The Business Standard.