A devastating blaze sparked by an unattended kitchen stove destroyed the Tup Tup Restro and Resort in the Inani Patwartak area of Cox’s Bazar on Saturday, leaving ten tourists dead and four members of a single family from Jashore still unaccounted for 24 hours after the incident.
The fire broke out at around 06:30 BST on 17 October when a staff member placed a kettle on a gas stove in the kitchen and subsequently fell asleep. Moments later, a deafening explosion echoed across the premises, quickly engulfing the entire three-storey wooden structure built on a ten-decimal plot along the picturesque Marine Drive. While most employees and a few guests managed to flee, several occupants were trapped inside as flames consumed the building.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing four to five staff members rushing out of the burning complex attempting to rescue foreign-breed pets—including Italian and German dogs alongside Persian cats—kept on the second floor by the owner, Tanvir Sultan Chowdhury. Local residents assisted emergency personnel in dousing the flames and retrieving bodies from the debris.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence confirmed that the resort operated entirely without fire safety clearance. Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afreen Junaid stated that an inspection in June had identified the establishment as unsafe, prompting a formal warning notice. Additionally, Jasim Uddin, Chairman of the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority (KDA), revealed that the resort was functioning illegally without KDA approval, ignoring previous orders to cease operations.
Police have filed a case at Ukhia Police Station naming the resort’s owner, Tanvir Sultan Chowdhury, as the principal accused, alongside his business partner Niaz Morshed, manager Mohammad Suman, and an unnamed individual. Manager Suman was arrested on Saturday evening and informed reporters that 19 employees were on duty and 21 guests were occupying six of the resort’s nine rooms at the time of the incident. Both Tanvir and Niaz remain absconding.
Authorities have identified six of the ten deceased victims so far:
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Israt Jahan (30) – Banasree, Dhaka
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Milita Mehjabin (23) – Banasree, Dhaka
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Laila Jahan (27) – Khilgaon, Dhaka
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Nafista Mim (27) – Khilgaon, Dhaka
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Fariha Kabir (33) – Chuadanga
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Fayizan Ahmed (5) – Chuadanga
The remaining four victims—comprising two women, a man, and a child—await formal identification at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. A five-member investigation committee, led by the district administration, has been directed by District Commissioner Abdul Mannan to submit a comprehensive report by Tuesday. Superintendent of Police A. N. M. Sazedur Rahman confirmed that investigative efforts are under way to determine the precise chain of events leading to the explosion.
