Young woman dies after falling into open drain in Chittagong

A fire service diving team on Tuesday recovered the body of a 20-year-old university student who went missing after falling in an open roadside sewage drain in Chittagong city’s Agrabad Badamtoli area on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Sehrin Mahbub Sadia, 20, daughter of Md Ali, from Boropole in Halishahar area.

She was a first-year honours student of the computer science and engineering department at the International Islamic University in Chittagong.

Newton Das, deputy director of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence, told Dhaka Tribune that Sehrin’s body was found after a four-and-a-half-hour long rescue operation at around 3:20am, about 100ft away from where she fell.

Rescuers carrying the body of the university student who fell into a drain in Agrabad of Chittagong city on Monday, September 27, 2021 Dhaka Tribune

Sehrin went missing after falling into a roadside drain in Agrabad Badamtali area at around 10:20pm on Monday, while she was returning home after buying spectacles with her uncle and grandfather, Md Rubel, the cousin of the deceased, told Dhaka Tribune.

“Her uncle and grandfather jumped into the drain immediately to rescue her but could not find her,” he added.

Faruq Hossain, deputy director of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence, said; “A divers unit of the fire service launched a rescue operation immediately after receiving the call. However, they were struggling with the operation owing to a large amount of trash dumped into the drain.  Later, when the city corporation removed around 1-1.5 half tons of trash with an excavator, the divers were able to reach down about 60-70ft and find the body.”

Meanwhile, Sehrin’s classmates protested the incident at the Chittagong Press Club and at Agrabad. 

They formed human chains and blamed the authorities concerned for their negligence and demanded that those responsible be brought under the law.

Speaking on the issue after visiting the spot, City Mayor M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said there should have been railings and nets to protect people from falling into the drain. “The sidewalk has become narrower due to the ongoing work of the elevated expressway. Any pedestrian at any time can fall in the drain adjacent to that sidewalk.” 

In the past six years, at least five people have died after falling into drains and canals due to waterlogging in the city.

Earlier on August 25, a vegetable trader named Saleh Ahmed went missing after falling into a drain in Muradpur area of the city. More than a month has passed but he has not yet been found.

Moreover, on June 30, a CNG autorickshaw fell into the Chashma canal in Gate No 2 area of the city, killing two people, including a woman.