Flash floods triggered by days of heavy rainfall have washed away a major road in Khagrachhari’s Panchhari upazila, cutting off transport links for thousands of residents. A large section of the Nalkata-Shuknachhari road, which connects Latiban Union, collapsed into the Shuknachhari stream after four to five days of torrential rain and strong hill runoff, bringing all vehicular movement to a halt. The road is the only transport link for hundreds of students, thousands of residents and seasonal vegetable growers, according to locals.
With the route cut off, residents are using residential compounds and rugged forest trails to reach schools, healthcare facilities and markets. Local residents have urged the authorities to take immediate steps to rebuild the damaged road. Panchhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farhana Nasrin visited the site after receiving reports of the incident, while officials from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) also carried out an inspection.
“The road has been completely washed away due to continuous heavy rainfall and flash floods,” Farhana said. “Repair work cannot begin immediately because the stream is still flowing with a strong current. It is also not possible to establish an alternative route at this stage.” She said the district LGED office and higher authorities had been informed of the damage and provided with photographs, videos and a detailed report to facilitate urgent reconstruction.
