Bangladesh Resort Fire Leaves 10 Dead

At least 10 people, including six members of the same family, died after a fire swept through a seaside resort in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district on Saturday morning. Nine others were injured. The tragedy has raised questions about fire-safety compliance at the property after officials confirmed that the resort operated without a fire-safety licence and had received a warning following an inspection in June.

The fire broke out at Tuptup Resto and Resort in Ukhiya at around 7:25 am local time. The three-storey building, constructed mainly from bamboo and wood, was engulfed by flames. Emergency responders recovered 10 bodies, according to reports by The Daily Star.

Six victims have been identified, while authorities are still working to establish the identities of the remaining four.

Six Members of One Family Among the Dead

The fire claimed the lives of six members of a family who had been staying at the resort. Ashiqul Islam, who was holidaying there with his relatives, survived after jumping from the second floor, Prothom Alo reported, citing his brother.

His wife, Israt Jahan Maliha, was among those killed, along with five other family members. The victims identified by authorities were Israt Jahan Maliha, 30; Milita Mehezabien Alvi, 23; Laila Jahan Nabila, 27; Nafista Meem, 27; Fariha Kabir, 33; and five-year-old Faizan Ahmed.

Prothom Alo reported the names and ages, citing the resident medical officer at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

The deaths have left families facing sudden loss as officials continue their efforts to identify the other victims and establish the full circumstances of the incident.

Nine Injured as Authorities Investigate the Fire

Nine injured people were taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for treatment, according to bdnews24.

Sabuktagin Mahmud Sohel, the hospital’s resident medical officer, said five patients had burns covering approximately 5% of their bodies and were receiving treatment. The remaining four injured people had been discharged, the report said.

The number of people inside the resort when the fire started remains another concern. Around 30 people were reportedly staying at or present on the premises. Four or five managed to escape, according to the Dhaka Tribune, while the whereabouts and condition of the others remained unclear in the initial reports.

The figures indicate that the full impact of the incident was still being assessed as emergency and investigative work continued.

Resort Had No Fire-Safety Licence

Questions over the resort’s safety arrangements have emerged following confirmation that the property did not hold a fire-safety licence.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Director Sultanul Afreen Junaid said the resort had been warned after an inspection in June, according to local media reports.

The warning raises questions about what action followed the inspection and whether any deficiencies were addressed before the fire. The building’s construction, primarily using bamboo and wood, is also relevant to the investigation into how the flames spread through the three-storey structure.

However, officials have not established a definitive cause. Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner A Mannan said the incident remained under investigation.

Some people suspected that the fire began in the kitchen, but Mannan said this could not be confirmed until investigators completed their work. Authorities have yet to provide a final account of how the blaze started or what caused it to spread.

Investigation Must Establish What Went Wrong

The immediate priority remains identifying the victims, accounting for everyone who may have been inside the resort and determining the cause of the fire.

The absence of a fire-safety licence, despite an earlier warning, also places the resort’s compliance history under scrutiny. Investigators will need to establish whether safety violations contributed to the deaths and whether any failures in enforcement played a role.

Until the findings are released, the precise cause of the disaster remains unknown. What is clear is that 10 people lost their lives, including six members of one family, in a fire at a resort that officials say lacked the required fire-safety licence.