Fire guts 94 resorts, cottages and houses in Sajek

A devastating fire in Sajek, Rangamati has completely destroyed 94 resorts, cottages and residential houses. The incident occurred in the Ruilui tourist area of Sajek Union in Baghaichhari Upazila around 12:45 PM on Monday.

According to the local residents and sources from the Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners Association, the fire initially broke out at a resort, Sajek Eco Valley, situated next to the residence of the Headman of Ruilui Para, Lal Thanga Lusai.

It rapidly spread to the surrounding residential houses and resorts, escalating into a severe blaze. At the time, several hundred panic-stricken tourists evacuated the resorts and cottages, running in distress.

There is no fire service station in Sajek. Around three hours after the fire broke out, around 4:00 PM, 11 units from the fire service stations in Khagrachhari Sadar, Dighinala and Panchhari Upazila arrived at the scene.

The fire was brought under control around 5:15 PM, nearly four and a half hours later. Initial assessments suggest that the fire could have originated from a cigarette stub or an electric short circuit.

According to Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners Association, the fire completely consumed 32 resorts and cottages, 36 residential houses, six restaurants and 20 shops. Meanwhile, sources from the district administration report that at least 140 resorts, cottages and residential houses have been affected by the fire.

Upon receiving news of the fire, the Zone Commander of Baghaihat army zone, Lieutenant Colonel Md Khairul Amin, along with the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Baghaichhari, Shirin Akter, visited the site at approximately 3:30 PM.

Following the incident, the local administration temporarily urged tourists to refrain from travelling to Sajek.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Anitya Tripura, a member of the local Union Parishad (UP) stated, “A total of 32 resorts, including my one, have been burned to ashes. Along with these, many houses, restaurants and markets have been burned also. We assume the financial losses from the fire to be at least Tk 1 billion (100 crore).”

The president of the Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners Association, Suparna Deb Burman informed Prothom Alo, “Nearly 100 resorts, cottages, residential houses and business establishments including the residence of Headman Lal Thanga Lusai, have been completely destroyed. We believe the fire originated from a cigarette stub.”