10 tourists killed in Cox’s Bazar resort fire: What investigators suspect

Police and an investigation committee suspect that a short circuit in a refrigerator on the ground floor sparked the deadly fire at Tuptup Resort in Cox’s Bazar. A gas cylinder in the kitchen then exploded.

Investigators believe the fire spread rapidly because flammable chemicals were stored in a warehouse. However, the cause of the fire has yet to be decisively established.

The fire broke out on the morning of Saturday, 17 October, at the three-storey resort beside Marine Drive, near Patuartek beach in Ukhiya. The bodies of 10 tourists were recovered from the site.

The resort is located about 28 kilometres south of Cox’s Bazar town. The tourists had been staying in eight rooms on the first and second floors, while the ground floor housed a restaurant and staff accommodation.

Since the incident, the resort’s owner and primary accused in the case, Md Tanvir Sultan Mia, has been on the run. A police officer involved in the investigation claimed that Tanvir was currently in Indonesia.

Another owner of the resort, Newaz Morshed, and others are also in hiding. So far, only the assistant manager, Zahid Hossain, has been arrested. Police have appealed for seven days’ remand for him, but the remand hearing has yet to take place.

Ukhiya police station officer-in-charge (OC) Atikur Rahman told Prothom Alo that, according to the questioning of the arrested assistant manager and information gathered so far, a short circuit first occurred in a refrigerator on the ground floor. The fire spread from there, after which a gas cylinder in the kitchen exploded.

According to the OC, flammable chemicals were stored in the resort’s warehouse. Combined with strong winds and the wooden structure, these caused the fire to spread rapidly. However, detailed information could not be found about the type of chemicals involved.

Rimon Ghosh, sub-inspector (SI) of Ukhiya police station and the investigating officer in the case, told Prothom Alo that different accounts have emerged regarding how the fire started. It would take more time to establish the actual cause, he said.

An investigation committee formed by the district administration visited the scene after the incident.

A member of the committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a preliminary assessment pointed to an electrical short circuit followed by a gas cylinder explosion. Further details would be included in the investigation report.

Gias Uddin, who runs a tea and coffee stall next to the resort, said he heard a loud bang on the morning of the incident and came outside to see the resort on fire. People were running around in panic at the time. The fire also destroyed a refrigerator and parts of the wooden structure of his shop.

Mohammad Aziz, Ansar-VDP commander of Jaliapalong union, also said he had heard a sound resembling an explosion. However, neither could confirm the source of the sound.

The resort was built on around 20 decimals of land. Much of the flooring and walls in its rooms as well as the staircases were made of wood. An extension of the restaurant facing the road had been built on wooden posts. These sections were also destroyed in the fire.

Tuptup Resort was operating with a trade licence issued by Jaliapalong Union Parishad. The licence was issued in the name of Tanvir Sultan Mia on 22 July. His address was listed as Mirpara in Boalkhali of Chattogram.

The licence was valid from 1 July this year until 30 June next year. A total of Tk 2,000 was collected, comprising a licence fee of Tk 500, value-added tax of Tk 75 and commercial tax of Tk 1,425.

Jaliapalong Union Parishad chairman SM Chyed Alam confirmed the matter. He said trade licences were issued for businesses operating within the union upon payment of the prescribed fees.

The same procedure had been followed for Tuptup. However, after the fire, it emerged that the establishment did not have approvals from the Fire Service, the Department of Environment or the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority.

There are discrepancies between the accounts given by relatives and the police regarding how many people were at the resort when the fire broke out.

According to relatives, 21 tourists, including women and children, were staying there on the night of Friday, 16 October. Ireen Jahan and Israt Jahan went to the beach early on Saturday morning. At that point, 19 people remained at the resort.

According to the relatives, the bodies of 10 people have been recovered. Six people were admitted to hospital with injuries, while two escaped by jumping. On this count, they claim that one person remains missing.

However, OC Atikur Rahman said preliminary investigations and information provided by the arrested assistant manager indicated that 19 guests had been staying in eight rooms when the fire broke out.

The bodies of 10 people had been recovered, while seven injured people had received treatment at hospital. The other two had escaped by jumping. The investigation had found no information suggesting that anyone else among the 19 was missing, he said. No written claim to that effect had been received either.

Tasnim Jahan, head of the district administration’s investigation committee and additional district magistrate, told Prothom Alo that after 10 bodies had been recovered, reports emerged that one more person was missing.

The Fire Service subsequently conducted another search but found no further bodies. The matter was being taken seriously, she said.

When the site was visited at around 9:30 am last Wednesday, tourists travelling along Marine Drive were seen stopping their vehicles to look at the burnt resort.

Some were taking photographs and videos, while others sat at a nearby tea stall asking how the fire had started, why so many people had died and why the owner had not been arrested.

Gafur Uddin, a businessman from Raozan in Chattogram, said resorts and cottages were popping up one after another along Marine Drive.

Tourists were attracted by social media advertisements showcasing well-arranged rooms and food. However, after an accident, the question of who should take responsibility was rarely addressed.

Tofael Ahmad, a businessman from Uttara in Dhaka, told Prothom Alo while standing in front of the site that he had watched a video of the fire on his mobile phone on the day of the incident. The cries of a woman in front of the resort had left a lasting impression on him.

To prevent such loss of life, illegal resorts must be shut down and those responsible must be held accountable, he said. “Who will take responsibility for the loss of so many lives?” Tofael Ahmad asked.