Nine tin-shed houses were completely gutted in a fire that broke out at Balaghata High School Para under Ward No-1 of Bandarban Municipality around 9:30am on Friday.
Residents alleged that although the fire service was informed immediately, two units of Bandarban Fire Service and Civil Defence reached the spot 40 minutes after the incident began.
By that time, the blaze had spread to all adjacent houses. The fire was eventually brought under control after an hour of effort.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire originated from a gas cylinder stove in the residence of Tapan Mallik, a cleaning worker for the municipality.
Along with Tapan Mallik, the houses and rented rooms of Jesmin Akter, Monowara Begum, and Tipu Sultan were destroyed, totaling nine dwellings lost in the blaze.
The Fire Service said they have commenced work to determine the exact cause of the fire and the extent of financial losses.
They added that further details would be provided following the completion of their assessment.
