At least 10 people were killed, including children, and nine others were injured when a fire broke out at the Tuptup Resto and Resort near Patuartek Beach in Inani, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Saturday morning, October 17, 2026. The blaze ripped through the three-storey resort, built mainly of bamboo and wood, in one of the deadliest tourist-site fires in the country's recent history.
The fire service confirmed the death toll on Saturday afternoon. Six of the dead have been identified; officials said DNA testing would be needed to identify some of the badly burnt bodies before they are returned to their families.
How the Fire Broke Out
The blaze erupted around 6:30–7:30am on Saturday at the wooden resort and restaurant, which sits beside the Marine Drive road near Inani Sea Beach, about 29km from Kolatoli. Flames and thick dark smoke quickly engulfed the structure, gutting the entire building.
Around 30 people were reportedly staying at the resort when the fire broke out. Only four to five people managed to escape. Video footage circulating on social media shows flames consuming the resort as distressed onlookers, some in tears, gathered by the roadside.
Firefighters from the Ukhiya Fire Service Station reached the scene around 8am. Three units worked alongside police, local residents, and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel to bring the blaze under control by about 10am, with the fire fully doused around 11am.
Safety Lapses Under Scrutiny
The resort had no fire-safety licence, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, which added that the establishment had previously been warned about the lack of compliance after an inspection in June 2026.
The cause of the fire remains officially unknown. One official suspected an LPG cylinder explosion in the restaurant's kitchen, while locals alleged the blaze originated from a stove in the kitchen. Authorities have formed a five-member probe committee, headed by the additional district magistrate, to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire.
Victims and Survivors
All of the dead and injured were domestic tourists. Six victims have been identified:
- Israt Jahan Maliha, 30
- Milita Mehezabin Alvi, 23
- Laila Jahan Nabila, 27
- Nafista Mim, 27
- Fariha Kabir, 33
- Faizan Ahmed, 5
Survivor Ashiqul Islam, who was holidaying with his family, jumped from the second floor to escape the flames; his wife, Israt Jahan Maliha, was among those killed. Five of the injured suffered burns covering around 5 percent of their bodies and were admitted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital; others were discharged after first aid. Officials warned the death toll could still rise as bodies were being recovered.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
The Morning Post's Takeaway
The Cox's Bazar resort fire is a stark reminder of what unlicensed construction and weak safety enforcement can cost. A warning in June. No fire-safety licence. A building of bamboo and wood packed with holidaying families — and a fire that moved faster than anyone could react. As the probe committee begins its work, the families of the victims will be asking the hardest question of all: how many warnings have to be ignored before lives are saved.
Sources: The Economic Times, The Business Standard, Prothom Alo English.