The onrush of hilly water in the upper stream of rivers in many areas worsened the situation, our correspondents in the two districts reported.

With the death of schoolgirl Rumi Akhter in a landslide at Balaghata in Bandarban on Thursday evening, the authorities have asked people living at the foot of the hills to take safe shelter as further landslides may occur.

A youth named Syed Ahmed of Bandarban sadar upazila was also reported missing after river current floated him away yesterday morning.

Communications between the districts and the rest of the country have remained disrupted since Thursday afternoon as the Bandarban-Chittagong Road and the district's central bus terminal went under water.

BANDARBAN
Several thousand people in the vast urban area under sadar upazila and Lama municipality have remained waterlogged since yesterday.

A total of 211mm rain was recorded in the district in 24 hours from 9:00am Thursday.

Water Development Board sources said water in the Shankha and Matamuhuri rivers is flowing above the safe water level from yesterday morning.

Many areas of the town including Armypara, Memberpara, Banorupa, Ghonapara, Islampur, Langipara, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Madhyampara, Ujanipara, Kouchingpara, Kalaghata, Hafiz Ghona and the stadium and fire service office areas have gone under three-four feet of water.

Sources in the Calamities Control Cell said the district administration has set up nine shelter centres in the town where over 600 families have taken shelter.

Dry food was distributed among them.

KHAGRACHHARI
At least 25 villages in different upazilas have been affected in the flash flood caused by heavy rain and the onrush of water from the hills, forcing over one lakh people to take shelter on the highlands and tall buildings.

The flood affected villages are Latiban, Fatema Nagar, Natunpara, Konchairepara in Panchhari upazila, Baro Merung, Chhoto Merung, Younchhari, Mrung Bazar, Betchhari and Babuchhara in Dighinala upazila, the APBN area, Muslimpara, Ganjapara, Rajjamonipara and Perachhara in sadar upazila, Kaladeva, Fenirkul and Masterpara in Ramghar upazila, Shantipur, Belchhari and New Ajoddha in Matiranga upazila, and many villages in Manikchhari, Lakshmichhari and Mohalchhari upazilas, sources said.

Sources at the district Agriculture Extension Office said they measured 47mm rain on Thursday and 50mm as of yesterday afternoon. They feared that heavy downpours will continue and flood the lower part of the district.

Khagrachhari Municipality Chairman Joynal Abedin said he urged people, who lived on the bank of the Chenghi river, to take shelter.

Additional District Magistrate Shamsuddhoha said the district administration has remained alert and has already visited different areas and provided all sorts of assistance.

Landslides snapped communications for hours on a few inter-district roads including the Khagrachhari-Dighinala road, Manikchhari-Lakshmichhari road, Matiranga-Tabalchhari road and Khagrachhari-Panchhari road.

Roads and Highways Department Executive Engineer Mohammad Iqbal Hossen claimed that their men were working to remove mud from the roads in different parts of the district.