103 killed in Bangladesh mudslides

The death toll in a spate of mudslides, flooding and lightning in south-eastern Bangladesh rose to 103 today after rescuers recovered more bodies.

The worst-hit area was a congested shantytown in the hilly port city of Chittagong, where large chunks of hill collapsed and buried dozens of bamboo and straw shacks.

The site is near a military area and army rescuers pulled out at least 19 bodies from the debris today, city official Nur Sulaiman said. Two other bodies were recovered from a pond, he added.

At least 67 died across the city yesterday, while another four bodies were found overnight, officials said.

The lightning strikes killed 11 people in the neighbouring districts of Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali and Brahmmanbaria, the Food and Disaster Management Ministry said.