Holiday trip turns harrowing 

COX’S BAZAR, Oct 17: At least 10 people, including a five-year-old child, were killed and seven others injured in a devastating fire at Tuptup Restaurant and Resort in Patuartek, Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, on Saturday morning, turning a holiday trip into a nightmare for families who had travelled from Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Six members of one family were among the dead. Another visitor remained missing after the fire engulfed the three-storey wooden establishment beside the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive, about 40 kilometres from Cox’s Bazar town.

The tragedy has exposed serious safety lapses at the tourist facility. The Fire Service and Civil Defence said the resort had been identified as hazardous during an inspection in June and issued a warning, but it continued operating without the required fire safety licence and clearance.

The fire broke out around 7:00am. Firefighters recovered 10 charred bodies by about 3:00pm, while the injured were taken to Cox’s Bazar District Sadar Hospital. Some critically  injured patients were referred to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

*    Six family members among victims
*    Resort ignored fire safety warning
*    Wooden 3-storey building housed restaurant and rooms
*    Nearest fire station 22km away

A deadly escape route
Local residents and eyewitnesses said the fire apparently started in the ground-floor kitchen, where large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders were reportedly stored. A loud explosion was heard before the flames spread rapidly through the wooden
building. The cause, however, remains under investigation.

The restaurant occupied the ground floor, while tourist accommodation was on the second and third floors. Guests reportedly had to pass through the restaurant to enter or leave the resort. As the fire spread, flames engulfed the main access route, trapping people inside.

Four Fire Service units, supported by members of the Border Guard Bangladesh, police and other personnel, took part in the rescue operation. Fire Service officials said the nearest fire station was about 22 kilometres away.

Six family members among the dead
The family had travelled to Cox’s Bazar to spend the extended Durga Puja holiday together. Nine members reportedly visited the area and stayed at the resort, but six were reported among those killed.

The victims included Nafiz Tehami, a student of the University of Dhaka’s Department of Chinese Language and Culture; Laila Jahan Nabila, a Chemistry Department student at Jagannath University; and Melita Mehzabin Alvi, a student of East West University.

Others reported among the dead included Israt Jahan Maliha, Fariha Kabir, Sabrin and five-year-old Faizan Ahmed. Fariha was Nafiz’s elder sister, while Faizan was his nephew. Authorities were still working to conclusively identify all 10 bodies, which were severely burnt.

Jagannath University confirmed Nabila’s death in a statement, with its Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Rais Uddin and Treasurer Professor Dr Sabina Sharmeen expressing grief.

Friend missing, couple escape through drain
Irin Jahan Mim, who had travelled from Savar with two friends, said they checked into the resort on Friday. She and another friend went to the beach early Saturday, while their friend Nasrin Akter Mukta remained in the room.

Mim said they saw the resort engulfed in flames after hearing a loud explosion. She had been unable to contact Mukta since the incident. Mukta’s parents and husband were reportedly travelling to Cox’s Bazar after learning of the fire.

Abdul Mannan, who had visited the resort with his wife from Dhaka’s Mirpur area, said they had planned to stay for two more days. The couple survived by jumping into a roadside drain while trying to escape the flames.

Resort lacked required approvals
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afreen Junayed said the resort had been inspected in June and identified as hazardous. Despite a warning, it continued operating without the required fire safety licence and clearance.

“They were not operating the resort in accordance with the rules,” he said at a press briefing in Dhaka, adding that many wooden resorts and other establishments in tourist destinations were operating without necessary approvals.

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner MA Mannan said the establishment had a trade licence from the local union parishad but lacked separate administrative permission to operate accommodation services.

Local sources said 17 to 18 tourists were believed to have stayed there on Friday night. The resort reportedly had four rooms with a capacity of 12 to 16 people travelling together. It employed around 12 to 14 workers, some of whom also stayed on the premises.

The owners were identified locally as Niaz Mohammad of Amirabad in Chattogram and Tanvir Ahmed of Boalkhali. The deputy commissioner said officials had been instructed to identify the owners and determine the legal action required.

Wider fire safety concerns
Authorities said the bodies would be handed over to relatives after identification and completion of the necessary procedures. The severe burns made identification difficult, and further verification was required.

The incident has renewed concerns over fire safety at tourist accommodation facilities and other unauthorised establishments. Sultanul Afreen said narrow roads and inadequate gaps between buildings often hinder firefighting operations. The Fire Service is considering specialised three-wheeled vehicles and motorcycle-based equipment to improve emergency access in congested areas.

The investigation will determine the cause of the fire, why occupants could not escape and whether regulatory failures contributed to the deaths.