“My wife had been ill for some time. Even so, she went to Cox’s Bazar to spend time with family members. I had gone with them too. After reaching Cox’s Bazar, I returned to Chuadanga on Friday because of official work. When I learnt about the fire from the media on Saturday morning, I hurriedly made enquiries and discovered that six of those who had died were members of my family.”
Nur Alam, a senior marketing officer at the pharmaceutical company Drug International, who is based in Chuadanga, said this while speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone.
Ten people were killed when a fire broke out at a wooden resort on Patuartek Beach in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, around 7:30 am on Saturday.
Six of the victims belonged to the same family. They were Nur Alam’s wife, Faria Kabir, 33; their five-year-old son, Faizan Nur; his brother-in-law, Nasir Uddin, 25; and his three sisters-in-law, Israt Jahan Maliha, 30, Laila Jahan Nabila, 27, and Milita Mehezabin Alvi, 23. Another victim was Nafista Mim, 27.
Apart from Nur Alam’s family members, the other victims lived in the capital’s Banasree and Khilgaon areas. The identities of the remaining three people killed have yet to be established.
Six people injured in the fire are receiving treatment at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. They are Mugda Medical College Hospital physician Shihab Uddin, 31; his wife, Nafiza Newaz Khan, 29; Ismail Hossain Masud, 30, and his wife, Meherun Nessa, 27; Mannan, 34; and Samida, 32.
The injured Ismail Hossain and his wife, Meherun Nessa, are Faria Kabir’s maternal uncle and aunt. Their home is in South Thetalia village in Matlab North upazila, Chandpur. This information was provided by a relative of the victims Mohammad Ahad, a student at Jagannath University.
Nur Alam’s home is in Gazirpar village in Barakotha Union of Uzirpur upazila, Barishal. He has been working in Chuadanga for about eight years. Because of his job, he and his family lived in a rented house in the Dakshin Hospitalpara area of Chuadanga town.
Nur Alam said he had travelled to Cox’s Bazar last Thursday with his wife, Faria Kabir, their son, Faizan Nur, and members of his in-laws’ family, including his brother-and sisters-in-law. Before that, he had travelled from Chuadanga to Dhaka with his wife and son on Wednesday.
Local residents said the fire broke out at Tuptup Resort, beside Marine Drive, at around 7:30 am. Fire service personnel arrived after being alerted. Local residents later began efforts to control the fire and rescue those trapped, with police assistance.
At around 2:15 pm, Cox’s Bazar Fire Service Assistant Director Syed Morshed Hossain confirmed to Prothom Alo that 10 bodies had been recovered. He said there could be more bodies and that the rescue operation was continuing.
Ahad, a relative of the victims, said they had been scheduled to leave for Dhaka on Saturday morning. Everyone was overwhelmed with grief following the incident. It was difficult to come to terms with the deaths of so many relatives at once, he said.