Landslides kill 134 people in Bangladesh with families buried alive as they slept in their homes

Landslides following heavy monsoon rains in southeastern Bangladesh have killed at least 134 people.

AFP reports that the remote Rangamati region was hardest hit by the pre-dawn landslides, with at least 98 deaths. Many of the victims in the hilly district lived in poor tribal communities, and were buried in their homes while sleeping. 

Rangamati district administrator Manzurul Mannan told the news agency that "the death toll might rise" and Bangladeshi officials confirm that at least 30 others were killed in Chittagong, while six died in nearby Bandarban district.

Emergency workers are still trying to reach some affected areas where phone and transport links have been disrupted.