A case has been filed against 23 people over a fire that killed 10 tourists at TupTup Restro and Resort in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
On Sunday, an investigation team visited the site, while rescuers continued searching for another person believed to be missing.
The seven-member committee, led by Additional District Magistrate Tasnim Jahan, inspected the fire-ravaged resort and spoke to eyewitnesses.
It is examining the cause of the fire, the resort’s construction approvals and safety arrangements, and the role of the relevant authorities in monitoring the establishment. The committee has been given five days to complete its investigation.
DNA tests to identify victims
After inspecting the site, Tasnim Jahan told journalists that 10 bodies had been recovered and several relatives had contacted the authorities with information about the missing people.
However, she said the condition of the bodies made it impossible to confirm their identities without DNA tests.
The authorities had also received information about another potentially missing person, but it was not yet clear whether the individual had been at the resort when the fire broke out or was elsewhere, she said.
The Special Branch of police and the investigation team were working to establish the person’s whereabouts, including by checking information linked to a mobile phone number.
Fire Service and Civil Defence officials said the bodies had been severely burned and disfigured, making forensic examinations necessary to determine whether they belonged to exactly 10 people or more.
Search resumes in debris
Lieutenant Colonel MA Azad Anwar, director of training, planning and development at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, said one person was still believed to be missing.
“According to our count, one person is still missing. Due to the high temperature, it was not possible to search every part of the debris thoroughly on Saturday,” he said.
He said 10 bodies had been recovered following the fire on Saturday. Information subsequently provided by relatives indicated that 11 people had initially been reported missing.
The resort’s upper floors were made of wood and collapsed during the fire, with debris falling onto the lower floor. Rescuers resumed searching because someone might have been trapped underneath, he added.
The fire broke out at around 7:30am on Saturday at the three-storey wooden resort near Patuartek beach along the Inani Marine Drive in Ukhiya. Two Fire Service units brought the blaze under control at around 10am.
The incident left 10 tourists dead and six others injured. Four of the injured were sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
CoxDA questions legality of resort
Fazle Rabbi, authorised officer of the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), said some establishments in the area were operating businesses without the required permission.
“Many places have no permission to operate businesses, yet they continue to do so. This is a crime,” he told journalists during the site visit.
He said the authority had issued directives in 2023 and 2024 to remove the structures.
“Despite repeated instructions, when people fail to comply, problems arise. The structure here is in no way a standard structure,” he said.
The investigation committee is examining whether the resort had the necessary approvals and whether its construction and safety arrangements complied with the applicable requirements. It is also reviewing the roles of the relevant regulatory agencies.
District Commissioner Md A Mannan said the resort had been constructed illegally and that the relevant authorities had previously issued notices for its removal.
Syed Morshed Hossain, deputy assistant director of the Fire Service in Cox’s Bazar, said the resort had not obtained Fire Service approval for its construction and lacked firefighting arrangements.
Strong sea winds caused the fire to spread rapidly through the wooden structure, he added.
According to the Fire Service, the resort had been declared risky and issued a notice four months ago because it lacked fire safety arrangements.
Families wait for identification of bodies
The bodies of the 10 victims have been kept in the morgue of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital as relatives wait for confirmation of their identities.
Resident Medical Officer Sabuktagin Mahmud Shohel said the identities of six victims had been tentatively established, but officials could not yet match the individuals to specific bodies. The remaining four had also yet to be identified.
District Commissioner Md A Mannan said the bodies had been burned beyond recognition and would be handed over to relatives after DNA tests confirmed their identities.
Woman from Dhaka remains missing
Nasrin Akter, a resident of Dhaka, has been missing since the fire. She had checked into the resort with two female friends. Her husband, Dewan Faisal, travelled to Cox’s Bazar and searched for her at the resort and the hospital but could not find her. The whereabouts of resort owner Tanvir Ahmad remain unknown.
Ukhia Police Station Sub-Inspector Ashish Sutradhar filed the case against 23 people over the deaths of the 10 tourists.
Police have arrested resort manager Zahid Hossain Sumon, while owner Tanvir Ahmad, partner Niaz Morshed and the other accused remain absconding. The investigation will examine the cause of the fire, the resort’s construction and safety arrangements, and the actions taken by the relevant authorities.
