Ten tourists die in fire at unapproved wooden resort in Cox’s Bazar

A fire that broke out around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Tuptup Resto and Resort on Patuartek beach in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, killed ten tourists. Firefighters recovered the bodies from the three-storey wooden structure after bringing the blaze under control around 11:30 a.m. Six people suffered burns and were taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afreen Junaid said the resort had been inspected in June and served a notice as risky. It operated without approval from the Fire Service. The building had a restaurant on the ground floor where food was prepared and guest rooms on the upper floors. The structure was made of wood and bamboo.

Among the identified dead were five women and five-year-old Faizan Ahmed. The women included Israt Jahan Maliha, 30, and Milita Mehezabin Alvi, 23, from Banasree in Dhaka; Laila Jahan Nabila, 27, and Nafista Mim, 27, from Khilgaon; and Fariha Kabir, 33, from Chuadanga. Most of the victims had traveled from the capital. An employee said 18 to 19 guests and roughly 24 to 25 people in total were on the property when the fire started.

Three fire engines reached the site and controlled the fire within about two hours. The resort sits more than 320 kilometers southeast of Dhaka near Marine Drive. The Fire Service had not given clearance for its construction or operation.

The incident occurred as the department was also preparing for fire safety during Durga Puja. Officials confirmed that the rapid spread through the wooden building trapped people in upper rooms. No official cause has been released, though the presence of a kitchen on the ground floor of a wooden structure has drawn attention.

The deaths of ten tourists at a seaside resort that authorities had already flagged for safety problems highlight gaps in enforcement of building and fire codes in a major tourism area.