At least 10 killed as blaze rips through Inani resort

‘Six of a family’ among the dead; the fire department flagged the place as ‘hazardous’ months ago

At least 10 people were killed when a fire burnt down the three-storey Tup Tup Resto & Resort in the Patuartek area near Inani Beach in Cox’s Bazar yesterday morning.

The fire broke out around 6:30am. Two units from the Ukhiya Fire Service Station, about 20km away, were alerted at 7:25am and reached the scene at 8:00am. The blaze was completely extinguished by 11:00am, according to the fire service.

Cox’s Bazar Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Syed Mohammad Morshed Hossain told The Daily Star that six bodies were found initially, followed by four more in a bathroom.

The rescue operation ended around 2:40pm, with no more bodies believed to remain inside, he said.

The bodies were handed over to police, but severe burns made identification difficult.

Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman said the extent of the burns could make it difficult even to determine the victims’ sex and age. Authorities would examine available records and other identifying features to establish their identities.

Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan of Cox’s Bazar said a five-member committee had been formed to investigate the incident. DNA samples would be collected from the bodies and matched against samples from relatives before they were handed over to the families.

Seven people were taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital with burn injuries. Two were discharged after initial treatment, while five remained hospitalised, said Resident Medical Officer Sabuktagin Mahmud.

“One of the patients is in a critical condition and will be referred elsewhere,” he told The Daily Star. The injured had burns covering around five percent of their bodies, he added.

The resort, beside Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive about 40km from Cox’s Bazar town, was built with concrete, wood, bamboo and tin.

One side had a brick wall, while much of the remaining structure was made of combustible materials. Staff quarters were on the ground floor.

The second floor had eight rooms, and all rooms at the resort were booked on Friday night, according to information available at the scene.

The resort had been operating without a fire safety licence despite receiving an official warning four months ago, the Fire Service and Civil Defence said.

At a press briefing at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, its Director General Brig Gen Sultanul Afreen Junaid said an inspector had visited the resort in June and served a notice on June 11, declaring the building “hazardous”.

“They [resort authorities] paid little heed to the warning and kept the business running,” he said, adding that the resort was effectively operating without permission.

Fire service officials at the scene said the resort had faulty documentation, lacked adequate fire extinguishers, and had no proper firefighting arrangements.

Abdullah, a next-door neighbour, said his sister woke him around 7:00am and told him that the building was on fire.

When he went outside, he saw flames coming from the kitchen area. The reception was beside the kitchen, and the only staircase leading to the upper floors was nearby, he said.

“The fire spread within moments and flames shot into the sky. The entire resort was engulfed and burnt down in a short time. By the time the fire service arrived, much of the damage had already been done,” he said.

Some people escaped by breaking windows and jumping out, while others found their way out of the burning building, he added.

Dr Shihab Uddin, a physician at Mugda Medical College Hospital, and his wife, Nafisa Newar Khan, were among those staying at the resort.

Shihab said they were asleep when heavy smoke woke them. When they tried to leave, they found the front section engulfed in flames, blocking their way out.

They managed to escape by jumping from a rear balcony, he said. Both suffered burns to their feet, but doctors told them their conditions were not critical.

Locals, Border Guard Bangladesh members and police joined firefighters in the rescue operation.

6 FAMILY MEMBERS ‘MISSING’

Relatives said six members of the same family were missing.

Police and administration officials suspect they were among those killed in the fire and are yet to be identified.

The missing family members are Isra Jahan Maliha, 28, daughter of retired government official Mamunur Rashid and a resident of Dhaka’s Banasree area; her sister Layla Jahan Nabila, 26, from Khilgaon; their cousin Milita Mehzabin Alvi, 23; another cousin, Fariha Kabir, 33; Fariha’s five-year-old child, Faizan Ahmed; and Fariha’s brother, Nafis Te Hami, 26.

Ashikur Ashikul Islam, Maliha’s husband, who survived the incident, said they had checked into the resort on Thursday and were scheduled to return to Dhaka yesterday.

Nafis is a student of Dhaka University’s Chinese language and culture department from the 2020-21 academic session. Nabila studies at Jagannath University, while Alvi goes to East West University.

Two women who requested anonymity at the hospital said that they had been staying at the resort with a third friend. They had gone out for a morning walk, but their friend, Nasrin Akter Mukta, 28, was still inside the resort and could not escape.

Further details about other people who remained missing were not immediately available.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat expressed sorrow over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families in a statement.

He urged the authorities concerned to continue searching for missing people, investigate the cause of the fire, and take steps to ensure tourists’ safety.

He also directed the Bangladesh Tourism Board to send a team to the scene to assess the situation, determine the extent of the damage, and assist tourists affected by the incident.

The ministry said it would take steps to strengthen fire safety at tourist destinations. It also plans to provide officials and employees of tourism establishments with special training in fire safety and emergency rescue operations, in cooperation with the fire service.