United News of Bangladesh

An elderly man and a boy were burnt to death and 16 others burnt in a devastating fire in Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday. Moreover, 549 Rohingya houses (shanty) were completely burnt to ashes, 263 partially damaged and 197 infrastructures of several service providing organizations (NGO) damaged while six more houses were demolished to halt the speed of fire in the camp. The deceased were Abul Khayer, 60, son of Md Solaiman, and Russell, 7, son of Mostafizur Rahman of the Rohingya camp. The injured were undergoing treatment at several hospitals. Mizanur Rahman, commissioner at Refugee, Relief and Repatriation in Cox’s Bazar, said some 808 Rohingya families were damaged in the devastating fire. Read: Gazipur factory fire: Death toll rises to 3 He suspected that the fire might have originated from an electric short-circuit or leakage of a gas cylinder in one of the Rohingya houses. Ukhiya police station’s Officer-in-Charge Md Arif Hossain said the fire erupted around 12pm and engulfed the camp. Initially three firefighting units from Ukhiya fire station responded to the incident, later three more units engaged in the fire and brought the flame under control around 2:30pm, he said. Along with the firefighters, Army personnel and local volunteers worked to tame the fire, the OC added.