Disaster Incidences in Bangladesh in March, 2016 Overview of Disaster Incidences in March 2016 In March, four localized incidents occurred along with two natural incidents, Nor’wester and Lightning. Fire incidents, Wall Collapse, Road Collapse, and Bridge Platform Collapse were the major localized incidents stricken in this month. According to Dailies, Nor’wester struck on 6th, 7th and 20th March and affected 4 districts. Lightning occurred in on 22nd, 27th, 28th and 31st of this month. Also, there was wall collapse in Ambari and Nawabganj under Dinajpur district and in Ishwarganj, Mymensingh. In addition a road collapsed at Gulshan in Dhaka and a bridge platform collapsed in Biswamvopur under Sunamganj district. Apart from these, 27 fire incidents occurred on 1st , 2nd, 9th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th,17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 24th and 26th March at Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Manikganj, Pabna, Mymensingh, Joypurhat, Jhenaidah, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Gazipur, Natore, Netrokona, Barguna, Noakhali, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Gaibandha and Khulna districts, respectively. Description of the Events in March 2016 Nor’wester In March, Nor’wester hit 4 districts e.g. Dhaka, Rajbari, Chuadanga and Netrokona districts. Total 4 people were killed and 31 people injured including women and child (Table 1). On 7th March ferry service at Goalandaghat paused for 12 hours during the storm. Nor’wester also caused damage to crops in Chuadanga on 20th March. Table 1: Loss and damage by Nor’wester in March 2016 Date Location Impact Source Remark District Union/Upazila Incident occurred as Keraniganj 1 child killed and 5 The Daily Star, roof of a 2 storied upazila injured March 7 building collapsed on her. 6-Mar Dhaka Incident occurred as part of an under- 1 child killed and 1 The Daily Star, Rampura thana construction building injured March 7 fell on a tin shade house. Disruption of service of 4 ferry ghats for 12 7-Mar Goalandaghat The Daily Jugantor, Rajbari hours. Six ferries upazila March 8 stayed motionless in the mid-river 1 killed and 16 Damurhuda The Daily Ittefaq, Chuadanga injured. Crops upazila March 21 damaged 20-Mar 1 killed and 10 Hogla union of injured. Breakage of The Daily Ittefaq, Netrokona Purbadhala electric pole caused March 21 upazila upazila’s electricity disruption Total 4 people including 2 children killed and 31 injured. Lightening In the month of March, 14 incidents of lightning have been reported to be occurred in 11 districts e.g. Cox’s Bazar, Netrokona, Panchagarh, Habiganj, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Comilla, Narayanganj, Brahmanbaria, Faridpur and Bagerhat in just four days. Among them 7 incidents occurred on the same day on 31st March in Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Comilla, Netrokona, Brahmanbaria, Faridpur and Bagerhat districts (The Daily Star, March 30). Total 24 were killed and 18 were injured in these incidents (Table 2). Table 2: Loss and damage by Lightning in March 2016 Date Location Impact Source District Union/Upazila 22-Mar Cox’s Bazar Maheshkhali upazila 2 killed. The Daily Star, March 23 27-Mar Netrokona Purbadhala upazila 3 children killed The Daily Star, March 28 Panchagarh Tetulia upazila 1 man and 1 child killed The Daily Star, March 29 Habiganj Habiganj sadar upazila 2 killed The Daily Star, March 29 28-Mar Jamalpur Bakshiganj upazila 1 woman killed The Daily Star, March 29 Balipara union of Trishal Mymensingh 1 man killed The Daily Star, March 29 upazila Comilla Daudkandi upazila 1 man killed The Daily Star, March 29 Titash upazila 1 man killed. The Daily Star, March 29 Char Kishorganj union of The Daily Jugantor, March Narayanganj 2 killed and 1 Injured Sonargaon upazila 30 Mymensingh Nandail upazila 2 killed The Daily Star, March 30 31-Mar Comilla Muradnagar upazila 2 killed and 17 Injured The Daily Star, March 30 Netrokona Netrokona sadar upazila 1 killed The Daily Star, March 30 Brahmanbaria Brahmanbaria sadar upazila 1 killed The Daily Star, March 30 Faridpur Faridpur sadar upazila 1 child killed The Daily Star, March 30 Bagerhat Morelganj upazila 2 killed The Daily Star, March 30 Total 24 including 5 children killed and 18 injured Fire There were 27 fire incidents in March, 2016. As for geographic spread, 21 districts (Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Manikganj, Pabna, Mymensingh, Joypurhat, Jhenaidah, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Gazipur, Natore, Netrokona, Barguna, Noakhali, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Gaibandha) experienced fire. These incidents caused death to 3 person; 9 cows, 9 goats and injury to 33 people. Total 58 shops and 91 houses was burnt, estimated loss was about BDT 1 crore 74 lakh (Table 3). As many as 6 fire incidents occurred on 2nd March, three or two incidents in a single day occurred on 17th, 18th, and 26th March. There were two fire incidents each in Nilphamari, Natore and Dhaka district and one incident in each of the remaining 16 districts. Seven incidents occurred at individual houses and other affected rest house, office, slum, market and factory. In the last week of the month, Sundarban was on fire for two days. It caught fire on 26th March from the fire set by the fishermen to destroy the bushes and came under control on 28th March 2016 morning. Though there has been no human casualty in this incident, a large number of trees were burnt in the fire. Table 3: Loss and damage by Fire in March 2016 Date Location Impact Source Remark District Union/Upazila Fire originated from electric The Daily Star, 1-Mar Panchagarh Boda upazila 10 shops burnt short circuit March 2 from a grocery shop. 1 woman burnt into death, 3 injured, 3 The Daily Nilphamari Jaldhaka upazila cows and 9 goats Janakantha, - killed. Estimated loss March 3 BDT 15 lakh Sylhet circuit house caught on fire. Two The Daily Sylhet sadar Fire originated Sylhet rooms were burnt. Janakantha, upazila from a VIP room. Estimated loss was not March 3 found The Daily Dinajpur Phulbari upazila 1 child burnt to death Janakantha, - March 3 2-Mar Nandogaon 20 houses gutted. Fire originated The Daily Star, Thakurgaon village of Haripur Damages worth BDT from a nearby March 7 upazila 25 lakh house. Syntax Polymer The Daily Estimated loss was not Industry caught Saturiya upazila Jankantha, found. on fire from a March 7 Manikganj house. Fire caused by 8 houses burnt. The Daily electric short Fulbaria upazila Estimated loss BDT 60 Jankantha, circuit of a lakh. March 7 house. Khetupara union 5 shops burnt. The Daily Fire originated Pabna of Santhia Estimated loss BDT 4 Jankantha, from a shoe upazila lakh. March 7 shop. 3 shops burnt. The Daily Fire broke out at Mushuli union at 7-Mar Mymensingh Estimated loss BDT 15 Jugantor, “Taraghat Nandail upazila to 20 Lakh March 9 Bazar”. Sonamukhi 2 houses burnt. The Daily Fires erupt at 9-Mar Joypurhat union of Estimated loss BDT 8 Jugantor, the cowshed. Akkelpur upazila to 10 Lakh March 9 The Daily “Taji Agro Achintanagar 10-Mar Jhinaidah 4 burnt. Jugantor, Industries” upazila March 10 caught on fire. Fire originated 8 including 3 children bdnews24.com, 11-Mar Brahmanbaria Sarail upazila from burnt. March 10 accumulated gas Table 3: Loss and damage by Fire in March 2016 Date Location Impact Source Remark District Union/Upazila due to leakage of the gas cylinder. Korail slum The Daily caught fire. Fire 14-Mar Dhaka Gulshan thana 50 houses burnt. Jugantor, originated from March 19 electric short circuit. The Daily Chapair union of 16-Mar Gazipur 2 houses burnt. Jugantor, Kaliakair upazila March 17 6 houses burnt and The Daily Mirganj union of 2000 kg tobacco Janakantha, Jaldhaka Upazila burnt. March 19 Nilphamari Ranochandi The Daily Fire originated union of Exact data of loss was Janakantha, from electric Kishoriganj not found. March 19 short circuit. upazilla 17-Mar The Daily Fire originated in Natore sadar Natore 1 house burnt. Janakantha, from electric upazila March 19 short circuit. 16 shops and 1 house The Daily Netrokona Kendua upazila burnt. Estimated cost Janakantha, BDT 8-10 lakh. March 19 Gulishakhali 1 woman died. 7 The Daily Fire broke out Barguna union of Amtali injured including 6 Janakantha, from gas upazila children. March 19 cylinder. 18-Mar 7 injured and a six The Daily Star, Fire caused by Dhaka Banani thana stories building March 19 gas pipe leakage. damaged. Table 3: Loss and damage by Fire in March 2016 Date Location Impact Source Remark District Union/Upazila The Daily 3 houses and 1 cow Fire caused by 19-Mar Natore Naldanga upazila Janakantha, burnt. mosquito coil. March 20 The Daily Companiganj Fire originated 21-Mar Noakhali 18 shops burnt. Jugantor, upazila from an oil shop. March 22 A warehouse of Saidpur Raiway The Daily 22-Mar Nilphamari Saidpur upazila Workshop caught fire. Ittefaq, March Estimated loss BDT 50 23 thousand. “Noukhanda Bazar” caught 6 shops burnt. The Daily Muksudpur fire. Fire 24-Mar Gopalganj Estimated cost BDT 6 Jugantor, upazila originated from lakh. March 25 electric short circuit. An association The Daily called “Surakkha 4 burnt. Estimated Madaripur Kalkini upazila Jugantor, Cooperative cost BDT 20 lakh March 25 Credit Union” caught fire. Fire originated Ghagoya union The Daily from mosquito 26-Mar Gaibandha of Gaibandha 5 cows died. Jugantor, coil in the sadar upazila March 27 cowshed. Nangli area near A large number of Fire Broke out Dhansagar trees were burnt in for the fire set station in the fire. Fire fighters The Daily Star, Khulna by the fishermen Chandpai range doused the flame March 28 to destroy the of the under control on 28 bushes. Sundarbans March 2016 morning 3 people killed, 33 injured, 58 shops and 91 houses burnt, 9 Total cows and 9 goats killed and estimated loss was about BDT 1 crore 74 lakh Road Collapse In Gulshan thana of Dhaka district, a 30 feet road next to Gulshan lake collapsed on 11th March.