Ten Tourists Die in Fire at Unlicensed Wooden Resort in Cox's Bazar
A fire at TupTup Resort near Inani Beach in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar killed at least ten people on Saturday morning, including six members of one family. The three-storey wooden building lacked a Fire Service licence and had been flagged as risky in June.
Cox's Bazar1 min read
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At least ten tourists died and six were injured when fire destroyed the three-storey wooden TupTup Resort near Inani Beach in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Saturday morning. The blaze began around 7:30 a.m. on the ground floor, where food was prepared, and spread rapidly through the upper floors that held guest rooms. Fire service units controlled the fire after several hours. Four of the bodies were recovered from toilets.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afreen Junaid said the resort had been operating without a valid fire-safety licence. Inspectors had identified it as risky in June and served a notice, yet management had not obtained approval. Cox's Bazar Development Authority Chairman Mohammad Jasim Uddin confirmed the facility also lacked the authority's clearance. Roughly 250 establishments along the Marine Drive road share similar gaps in approvals from the development authority, Fire Service and Department of Environment.
Six of the dead belonged to one family from Chuadanga and Dhaka: Faria Kabir, 33; her five-year-old son Faizan Nur; her brother-in-law Nasir Uddin, 25; and three sisters-in-law, Israt Jahan Maliha, 30, Laila Jahan Nabila, 27, and Milita Mehezabin Alvi, 23. Other named victims included Nasrin Akter Mukta, 29, and additional relatives. The injured included physician Shihab Uddin, 31, and his wife Nafiza Newaz Khan, 29, who were taken to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital.
A five-member investigation committee has been formed. Authorities said they will examine both the cause of the fire and possible regulatory failures. Local residents told reporters the wooden structure stood beside Marine Drive near Patowartek beach. The resort was completely destroyed.
The deaths have focused attention on fire-safety compliance at tourist facilities along the Cox's Bazar coast, a major destination for domestic visitors. Officials noted that the volume of establishments has made full inspection difficult, yet the June notice to TupTup shows that at least some sites had already been flagged. No final cause has been released, and the committee's report is pending.
