Heavy rains and upstream flows from India have caused the Gomti River water protection dam to break, leading to severe flooding in about two hundred villages across Comilla’s Burichang and Brahmanpara upazilas. The floodwaters have submerged these areas, leaving millions of people stranded and exacerbating the crisis as the situation deteriorates daily.
Mud houses are collapsing under the pressure of the floodwaters, creating significant risks for residents. As of Sunday noon (August 25), at least 20 houses in Burichong upazila have been reported to have collapsed. Areas including Bharsar, Ichapura, Burburia, Kharataia, Shikarpur, Kalikapur, Bakshimul, and Ajnapur have seen their mud houses softened and destroyed by the rising waters. Fortunately, most of the affected houses were empty as residents had evacuated to shelters in response to the rising water levels.
Residents shared their experiences of the devastation. Sayeed from Kalikapur village reported that a mud house by the pond collapsed around 2:30 pm, but the family had already sought shelter. Jahangir Alam Badsha from Ichapura village, aged 65, noted that he had never witnessed such severe flooding in his lifetime, highlighting the historical significance of this disaster. He mentioned that the excessive water had caused the walls of houses to become soft and collapse.
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Amza Hossain from Bakshimul village recalled a previous dam break but noted that this time, the floodwaters have been particularly severe, resulting in the collapse of six mud houses.
Burichong Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sahida Akhter confirmed that while reports of mud house collapses have been received, accurate statistics on the number of collapsed houses are still being compiled. She also reported that a body of a mentally challenged person was recovered from the floodwaters, but no further casualty reports have been confirmed.