At least 30 shelters were reduced to ashes in a devastating fire at a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, in the early hours of Tuesday.
The blaze broke out at Block E-5 of Rohingya Camp-5 at dawn. It took around two hours for the Fire Service, supported by local residents, to bring the flames under control. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Ukhiya Fire Service Station Officer Dolar Tripura said that “About 30 dwellings were completely destroyed, but no one was injured. We are currently investigating the cause of the fire.”
According to local sources, the fire spread rapidly through the densely packed shelters before the Fire Service arrived at the scene.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman confirmed that necessary measures are being taken to assist those affected. He added that relevant authorities have launched a formal investigation into the origin of the blaze.
The incident has heightened fears among camp residents following a string of recent fires. On 13 February, a fire at Camp-11 destroyed 45 shelters and resulted in the death of a woman named Sona Banu. Earlier, on 20 January, a massive fire at Camp-16 in Palongkhali union gutted approximately 500 shelters.
In response to these recurring incidents, authorities have announced plans to strengthen fire safety protocols and increase awareness programmes within the Rohingya settlements.
