Ten killed in Cox’s Bazar resort fire; safety licence was missing

From 18 October 2026 — Daily Brief

Ten people were killed when fire swept through a resort on the Inani coast in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday, 17 October. Several others were injured in the blaze at Tuptup Resto and Resort in Ukhiya.

The two-storey building contained extensive wooden structures. Firefighters recovered bodies from the burnt premises as emergency services took injured people to hospital. The reported injury count differed between early accounts.

The Fire Service said the resort did not have the required fire-safety licence. Officials said an inspection in June had identified deficiencies and the establishment had been told to address them. They also questioned its escape arrangements, including the absence of a separate emergency exit.

The government ordered an investigation into the deaths. The cause of the fire had not been established in the reports available for this draft; suggestions about an electrical fault remain unconfirmed.

The investigation will examine how the fire spread and why guests could not escape. The missing licence and earlier warning are reported safety failures, but investigators have yet to determine their precise role in the fatalities.