At least 10 killed in fire at Bangladesh beach resort
A Saturday morning fire gutted the three-storey bamboo-and-wood TUPTUP Resto and Resort in Inani, Cox's Bazar; officials say the resort kept operating without a fire safety licence despite a June warning.
At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured after a fire tore through a beach resort in Cox’s Bazar in south-eastern Bangladesh on Saturday morning, officials said.
The blaze broke out at around 6.30am at TUPTUP Resto and Resort in Inani, near Patuartek Beach along Marine Drive, gutting the three-storey building, which was constructed mainly of bamboo and wood. Fire Service spokesman Talha Bin Zasim confirmed the toll at around 1.30pm, India TV reported.
Nearly 30 people were staying at the resort when the fire started; only four to five managed to escape. Among the victims identified so far was five-year-old Faizan Ahmed, TBS News reported. Deputy Commissioner A Mannan said DNA samples would be collected from the recovered bodies before they were handed over to families, and the condition and whereabouts of some of those believed to have been at the resort remained unclear.
Five patients with burns covering around 5 per cent of their bodies were admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital; another person, injured in a fall, was discharged after first aid, according to the hospital’s resident medical officer.
The resort had been inspected in June and warned about fire risks, with a notice issued, but it continued to operate without a valid fire safety licence, Fire Service Director General Sultanul Afreen Zunaid said. Police have detained resort manager Mohammad Suman, and a five-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the cause, which has not yet been determined.
Sources: Reuters, TBS News, India TV News
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