Chittagong, Bangladesh, Aug 13 (AFP/APP): At least 55 people have been killed and more than a million affected by two weeks of torrential rains causing floods and landslides in southeast Bangladesh, officials said Sunday. Administrators of four of the worst-hit districts said floods and landslides since August 1 killed 21 people in Cox’s Bazar, 19 in Chittagong, 10 in Bandarban, and five in Rangamati.”These are some of the heaviest rains in recent years,” Bangladesh Meteorological Department chief Aziz ur Rahman told AFP.He said 312 millimeters (12 inches) of rainfall was recorded on August 7 alone.Officials said heavy rains lashed the region until August 11, triggering flash floods that caused rivers to burst their banks and inundate hundreds of villages.It was only possible to confirm how many were killed after the floodwaters began to recede.The summer monsoon brings South Asia around 80 percent of its annual rainfall, as well as death and destruction due to flooding and landslides.The rainfall is hard to forecast and varies considerably but scientists say climate change is making the monsoon stronger and more erratic, while deforestation and building on hillsides has made flash floods worse.
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