DHAKA: Two Bangladeshi teenagers have died taking selfies in raging floodwaters, officials said Thursday, as the death toll from fresh monsoon downpours reached 56 with nearly five million affected.
Police said the 15-year-old boys were snapping selfies at a flooded road in the northern town of Melandah on Wednesday when they were swept away by powerful currents.
“With the school shut down due to floods, and the road underwater, they thought it was good idea to take selfies on the flooded road,” said Mohan Talukder, the headmaster of Umir Uddin School where the boys attended.
“Unfortunately huge currents washed both of them into a roadside flood-plain. Several villagers tried to save them, but one of them was also washed away by floodwaters.”
Local police chief Mazharul Karim told AFP their bodies were recovered by divers after a day-long search.
Nearly half of Bangladesh is affected by the floods but the government’s weather agency has warned the worst could be yet to come, with two major rivers at bursting point.
“The flood situation in the country’s central region could worsen in the next few days,” said Sazzad Hossain, head of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center.
Renewed flooding has killed 56 people since Saturday, with 4.5 million directly affected, Bangladesh’s disaster management department said.
Bangladesh’s health department said coupled with those killed in separate flooding in July, at least 107 people had perished amid monsoon downpours.
The floods have destroyed nearly 200,000 houses and wiped out crops on nearly 580,000 hectares (1.4 million acres) of land, officials said.
The government has opened close to 1,500 shelters where food and supplies are available, but those in hard-hit areas have complained that aid had not yet reached their villages.
Two Bangladeshis die taking flood selfies as crisis worsens
Two Bangladeshis die taking flood selfies as crisis worsens
UK Police arrest 86 people at prison protest for Palestine Action hunger striker
- Demonstration outside Wormwood Scrubs held in support of Umer Khalid
- Khalid 1 of 5 people charged in connection with break-in at RAF base last year
LONDON: A protest outside a prison in the UK in support of a man detained for supporting the banned group Palestine Action has led to the arrest of 86 people.
London’s Metropolitan Police said a group of demonstrators breached the grounds of Wormwood Scrubs prison in the capital, refused to leave when ordered to do so, and threatened officers. They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
The group, several of whom attempted to gain access to the prison itself, were protesting in support of Umer Khalid, who is currently on hunger strike at the facility.
Khalid is one of five people charged in relation to a break-in by Palestine Action members at an RAF base at Brize Norton last year, in which two military aircraft were damaged.
Khalid, who denies the charges, is one of several people who are on or who have taken part in hunger strikes in recent months, all of whom have been held on similar charges for over a year without their cases being brought to trial.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Ministry of Justice said: “The escalation of the protest at HMP Wormwood Scrubs is completely unacceptable. While we support the right to peacefully protest, reports of trespassing and threats being made to staff and police officers are deeply concerning.
“At no point was prison security compromised. However, where individuals’ actions cause risk or actual harm to hardworking staff, this will not be taken lightly and those responsible can expect to face consequences.
“Prisoners are being managed in line with longstanding policy. This includes regular checks by medical professionals, heart monitoring and blood tests, and support to help them eat and drink again. If deemed appropriate by healthcare teams, prisoners will be taken to hospital.”
