Teen Dies in Hillside Collapse

A teenage boy has died following a hill collapse while earth was being excavated for homestead development in the Mirsharai area of Chattogram.

The incident occurred at around 8:00 pm on Wednesday in the Gheramara Barotholi locality of Korerhat Union. After approximately two hours of rescue efforts by local residents, the victim’s body was recovered from beneath the soil.

The deceased has been identified as Sayeem Chowdhury (13), son of the late Bashir Mia. Another child, Sohel Rana (8), was injured in the same incident and received primary medical treatment locally.

According to family members, Sayeem had moved from Chhagalnaiya upazila in Feni district to Mirsharai about two months earlier with his mother, Saleha Begum. His two elder sisters are married. Sayeem had reportedly been contributing to household income by working as an auto-rickshaw driver and occasionally assisting in masonry-related labour.

Local residents, police officials, and representatives of the Bangladesh Forest Department stated that the Gheramara Barotholi area falls within a reserved forest zone. The region has experienced prolonged unauthorised hill cutting and informal settlement expansion. The victim’s family had reportedly constructed a small dwelling at the foot of the hill using bamboo fencing and tin sheets, with support from local residents.

It is further reported that recent earth-cutting activity was underway beside the dwelling in order to expand and fill the homestead land. This excavation involved cutting into the adjacent hillside.

Eyewitness Mili Akhtar, a neighbour, stated that Sayeem had returned home after driving his auto-rickshaw in the evening and was engaged in earth removal work beside the house. Several children were playing nearby at the time. At around 8:00 pm, a section of the hillside suddenly collapsed, burying both Sayeem and the child Sohel Rana under soil and debris.

Local residents immediately began rescue operations. Sohel Rana was first recovered alive and taken for primary treatment. Sayeem was later found buried deeper under the soil and was declared dead when retrieved at around 10:00 pm. His funeral was conducted following a prayer service at approximately 11:00 am the following day.

Authorities from the Jorarganj Police Station confirmed that the incident is under investigation and that police personnel were deployed to the site shortly after the event.

A brief summary of the incident is provided below:

Officials have indicated that parts of the area remain vulnerable due to continued unauthorised hill cutting within the reserved forest zone, where enforcement actions are periodically carried out to restrict illegal settlement and land alteration activities.