Rangamati landslide: Man who helped many could not save himself

The man, who went out right after landslides hit Rangamati on the fateful morning of June 12 trying to save his neighbours and community members, eventually could not save himself or most his family members.

A driver by profession, Nobi Hossain of Notun Para in Rangamati, was one of the first to lead primary rescue operations after the landslides in the area.

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On Monday morning, he quickly left his house and over loudspeakers from the local mosque urged his neigbours to move to safety as the hills started to crumble following the heavy rains.

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When he moved many to safety, six of his family members died in the landslide.

Nobi along with his neigbours -- Siddik, Selim and Akbar -- among others raced against the clock trying to rescue as many people as possible before the landslides consumed everything, reports our staff correspondent after talking to Nobi’s neigbours.

However, Nobi himself came in the landslides way and was critically injured after he was buried almost until his neck in the mud.

Nobi was first taken to Rangamati General Hospital, from where he was taken to Chittagong and then was brought to Dhaka yesterday. He was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Eden Multicare Hospital in Dhanmondi where he succumbed to his injuries around 9:30am today, Anika Sarkar, a staff of the hospital, told The Daily Star.

Nobi’s death brought the death toll from Rangamati landslides to 115.

News of his death has deeply saddened his community members, most of whom have taken shelter at Bangladesh Betar substation’s building in Rangamati, said Abdul Khaleque, Vice President of the society committee of Notun Para.

Only two sons of Nobi -- Rubel and Shumon -- now remain alive. Shumon is being treated for his injuries at Chittagong whilst Rubel survived the landslide as he was in Khagrachhari district for work purpose.