Published : 17 Oct 2026, 03:44 PM
Updated : 17 Oct 2026, 04:13 PM
The TUPTUP Resto and Resort in Cox's Bazar's Inani, where 10 people died in a fire, had no fire safety clearance and continued operating despite an official warning, the Fire Service has said.
Speaking at a media briefing on Saturday, Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Sultanul Afrain Zunaid said the agency had inspected the resort in June and issued a notice warning that it was unsafe.
Despite the warning, the resort continued operating without the required authorisation. Its licence had also not been renewed, according to the Fire Service.
The three-storey wooden building housed a restaurant on the ground floor and guest accommodation on the upper two floors.
The fire broke out around 6:30am near Patuartek Beach along Marine Drive. Firefighters were alerted around 7:30am, with the nearest fire station 22km away. The blaze was extinguished by 11:30am.
By 1:30pm, the Fire Service had reported 10 deaths and nine injuries.
Asked about the cause, Junaid said it would be wrong to speculate before a thorough investigation.
He warned that many resorts built with combustible materials in tourist areas lacked necessary approvals and said the agency would review measures to prevent similar disasters.