Thousands stranded in Sajek after landslide

Thousands stranded in Sajek after landslide

Thousands of tourists were stranded in Sajek valley of Rangamati as road communication was suspended following a landslide on the Sajek-Khagrachhari road in the Nandaram area of Baghaichari upazila early on Wednesday.

Additional Superintendent of Police Maruf Ahmed said torrential downpour had caused the landslide.

Army personnel were working to get traffic movement back to normal, he added.

Road communication would likely be normal in a few hours, he said.

Around 3,000 Sajek-bound tourists had been stopped at its entry point, while 2,000 people were stranded in different parts of the valley, said Baghaichari UNO Rumana Akhter.

Sajek valley is normally crowded on holidays. Due to a government holiday on the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Hindus, a large number of tourists are flocking to Rangamati. But many are now stuck there due to the landslide.

Meanwhile, businesses in Sajek said they could incur losses due to the landslip.