COX’S BAZAR (BANGLADESH): A devastating landslide triggered by relentless monsoon rains has claimed the lives of at least seven children and a teacher at a girls' learning center inside a sprawling refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh.

The incident has once again highlighted the perilous living conditions and environmental vulnerabilities faced by over a million displaced people sheltering in the region.

The disaster occurred during the early morning hours following days of uninterrupted, torrential downpours. A massive chunk of a waterlogged hillside gave way, sending tons of mud and debris crashing down onto a makeshift structure used as a girls' primary school section within the camp.

According to camp officials and eyewitnesses, the school session had just commenced when the hillside collapsed. The heavy mud completely flattened the bamboo-and-tarpaulin structure, trapping the young students and their instructor inside.

Before rescue teams could navigate the camp's narrow, muddy pathways, local residents took action. Armed with only shovels and their bare hands, they desperately dug through the thick sludge in a race against time to reach the victims trapped beneath the debris.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of seven young girls, all aged between 6 and 11, alongside their female teacher. Several other students were pulled from the debris with varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to nearby field hospitals managed by international medical aid agencies.

An official from the local refugee relief administration confirmed the tragedy, stating that emergency psychological support and immediate aid are being provided to the grieving families.

Humanitarian organizations have long warned about the imminent dangers of landslide risks in the Cox's Bazar settlements, particularly during the annual monsoon season. The hilly terrain, heavily deforested to accommodate the massive influx of refugees years ago, becomes highly unstable under heavy rains.

While community volunteers regularly undergo disaster preparedness training, activists argue that more permanent, resilient infrastructure and the relocation of schools and dwellings away from high-risk slopes are urgently needed to prevent future loss of innocent lives.