The death toll from floods in Bangladesh this week has increased to eight, with over two million people affected as heavy rains caused major rivers to overflow, officials confirmed Saturday.
Bangladesh, home to 170 million people and intersected by numerous rivers, has experienced more frequent floods in recent decades.
At the heart of Shahjadur, a remote northern town, tragedy struck as two teenage boys lost their lives when their boat capsized in floodwaters.
This incident unfolded amidst climate change’s impacts, which have heightened rainfall variability and hastened glacier melt in the upstream Himalayan mountains, as reported by local police chief Sabuj Rana to AFP.
“There were nine people in the small boat. Seven managed to swim to safety, but tragically, the two boys who did not know how to swim drowned,” he said.
AFP was informed by Bishwadeb Roy, police chief of Kurigram, that three individuals were killed in two separate incidents of electrocution after their boats tangled with live electricity wires in floodwaters.
Additionally, officials had earlier reported three more fatalities in various flood-related incidents across the country.
Hundreds of shelters have been opened by the government to accommodate those displaced by the flooding, with food and relief supplies dispatched to severely affected districts in the northern region of the country.
According to Kamrul Hasan, the secretary of Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry, over two million people have been affected by the floods, impacting seventeen districts out of the country’s total of sixty-four.
Hasan warned that the flood situation in the north could deteriorate in the coming days, especially along the Brahmaputra, one of Bangladesh’s major waterways, where water levels are already exceeding danger thresholds in certain areas.
Abdul Hye, a local disaster and relief official, informed AFP that in Kurigram district, the worst-hit area, eight out of nine rural towns have been submerged by floodwaters.
“This year, the water level was exceptionally high. In just three days, the Brahmaputra rose by six to eight feet (2-2.5 meters),” explained Abdul Gafur, a local councillor in the district, speaking to AFP.
“Over 80 percent of homes in my area are submerged in floodwater. We’re focusing on delivering essentials like rice and edible oil, but there’s a severe shortage of drinking water”
Currently, Bangladesh is in the midst of the annual summer monsoon, responsible for 70-80 percent of South Asia’s annual rainfall.
Alongside this crucial water supply, the monsoon season tragically brings frequent fatalities and significant damage through flooding and landslides.
Forecasting the rainfall is challenging due to its variability, but scientists indicate that climate change is intensifying and destabilising the monsoon, making it stronger and more unpredictable.
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