But some areas still remained cut off. Extensive devastation was reported in the region. The landslides were the worst since 2007, when 127 people were killed in Chittagong.In Rangamati's remote Kawkhali area, about 5,000 homes were either destroyed or damaged, police chief Addul Karim said. He said authorities opened six temporary shelters.Experts say unplanned settlements at foothills and extraction of soil by unscrupulous traders were the main reasons behind such high death tolls.Bangladesh, a delta nation of 160 million people, is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides. Many people in hilly regions ignore authorities' calls to avoid constructing homes on slopes.

Source: Economic Times June 14, 2017 03:33 UTC