A woman died after falling into an open drain concealed by rainwater in the Bhogra Bypass area under Gazipur City Corporation yesterday evening.

The deceased was identified as Nazma Khatun, 26, from Baladanga area of Satkhira district, said Sabuj Hasan, duty officer of Basan Police Station.

According to eyewitnesses, heavy rainfall in the afternoon caused severe waterlogging on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. An uncovered drain constructed under the BRT project beside the highway became submerged under the accumulated rainwater.

Unaware of the hidden danger, Nazma reportedly stepped into the flooded area, fell into the drain and was swept away by the strong current.

After receiving information, firefighters rushed to the scene and launched a rescue operation.

Officer-in-Charge Harun Or Rashid of Basan Police Station said firefighters recovered Nazma's body about 40 minutes after she fell into the drain. The body was found some distance away from the spot where she had fallen.

She was taken to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty physician declared her dead, the OC said.

The body has been kept at the hospital morgue.

Harun said police had been unable to locate any close relatives of Nazma in Gazipur and had informed police authorities in Satkhira about the incident.

A similar incident occurred in Tongi, Gazipur, on July 27 last year. A woman named Faria Tasnim went missing after falling into an open drain. Firefighters recovered her body three days later from a wetland nearly one kilometre from where she had fallen.