10 Die in Resort Fire at Inani, Six From One Family; Resort Had Earlier Been Flagged 'Risky'

Ten people have died in a devastating fire at a resort in the Patuartek area of Inani in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, and six more have been injured. Among the dead in the fire at the Tuptup Restro and Resort, adjoining Marine Drive, are six members of the same family — a tragedy that has deepened the grief, as a family on a seaside holiday met such a fate.

The incident took place on the morning of Saturday, October 17. The fire started at the resort adjoining Marine Drive. As the building was made of wood, the fire spread quickly and many people could not get out.

Fire Service rescue work recovered the bodies of 10 people. Several others were injured in the incident — reports put the number of injured at six. The actual cause of the fire could not initially be confirmed.

Information published after the fire has raised serious questions about the resort's fire-safety management. According to media reports, the Fire Service had earlier marked the establishment as risky and served it a notice, and it did not have the required fire-safety licence either.

That is where the biggest question lies — how did a tourist resort continue operating even after being warned about the risk? Whether the authorities concerned carried out regular monitoring, and whether the establishment should have been kept closed until the fire-safety deficiencies were removed, must be investigated, voices have said. There is also a demand to move away from a culture of ending responsibility by merely serving a notice.

A neutral and complete investigation into the cause of the fire has been demanded. Whether the fire started from an electrical fault, a gas cylinder or some other cause must be determined through experts. At the same time, the building's construction materials, electrical connections, fire-extinguishing equipment, emergency exits and arrangements for evacuating guests safely must be examined.

There is also a demand that the investigation report be made public, so that the real facts become known and effective steps can be taken to prevent the same kind of accident in the future.

It must be examined in particular whether the resort had enough fire-extinguishing equipment, whether it was functional, and whether staff were trained to handle emergency situations. Alternative escape routes from every residential room, smoke detectors, alarms, emergency lighting and clear instructions in the building must also be brought under scrutiny, it has been said. Fulfilling safety rules only on paper is not enough; whether they work in practice must be checked regularly.

On the question of responsibility, it is being said that the responsibility does not lie with one resort's owner or management alone. The accountability of the Fire Service, the local administration, tourism-related authorities and every institution linked to building management must be ensured. If the allegations are proven true, legal action must be taken against those concerned, so that no one escapes responsibility because of an influential owner or business interests. However, no one should be declared guilty before the investigation results are published; responsibility must be determined through due legal process.

Countless tourists stay every day in the hotels, resorts and restaurants that have grown up around Inani, Himchhari and Marine Drive. Ensuring their safety is not a business convenience; it is a fundamental duty. Demands have therefore been raised for an emergency fire-safety audit not only in Cox's Bazar but in hotels, motels, resorts and tourist establishments across the country — checking licences, exits, fire equipment and staff training, and considering risky establishments until they take the necessary measures.

Alongside expressing sympathy to the families of the dead and ensuring treatment for the injured, there have been calls to stand beside the affected families. But it is being said that expressions of grief and financial assistance are not the last word — what is needed is determination of responsibility, justice and effective reform.

As a warning, it has been said that the Tuptup Resort fire must not turn into another episode of forming an investigation committee, a few days of discussion and then forgetting. Behind every safety rule is a human life; every act of negligence can mean a family's permanent devastation.

Tourism development is important for the economy and employment, but if tourists' lives themselves are not safe, questions remain about the value of that development. It remains to be seen whether the investigation into this fire determines the real cause and responsibility, and whether zero tolerance on fire safety, regular monitoring and strict enforcement of the law are ensured at tourist centres — so that no family again has to bear the pain of losing loved ones on a holiday trip.