Torrential rains in Bangladesh since the weekend have triggered landslides and flooding that have left at least 98 people dead and up to 23 missing, DPA QUOTED officials in the country's main port city as saying Tuesday. The death toll from the tropical storms that began pounding the Chittagong seaport and lush rice terraces in the five north-eastern districts from late Sunday rose to 98 as civil defence rescuers dug out 31 more bodies since Monday from the rubble of two major landslides. The military backed interim government in the country gripped by political chaos recently declared the port city a disaster zone deploying thousands of soldiers, paramilitary police and civilian volunteers for rescue and search missions in hazardous conditions. Port operations have remained suspended for the last 48 hours because of heavy showers and gale winds battering the Bay of Bengal coastline. Chittagong is located 275 kilometres south of the capital Dhaka.
