DHAKA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Rain-induced landslides in two southeastern Bangladeshi districts on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning have claimed at least seven lives and destroyed numerous dwellings.
Two incidents of landslides claimed five lives in Bandarban district alone, some 316 km from the capital Dhaka, when huge chunks of mud collapsed on their houses early on Thursday, said a local official who declined to be named.
Apart from them, the bodies of two children were reportedly recovered in Cox's Bazar district, some 400 km southeast of Dhaka after a landslide on Wednesday night.
Landslides are frequent in Bangladesh's hilly areas during the heavy monsoon that usually runs from June to September, as land has been heavily deforested to grow crops and build houses. ■
