TupTup resort fire likely started from fridge short circuit, then cylinder blast, investigation finds

An electrical short circuit is being initially blamed for the devastating fire at the TupTup resort in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. Investigators believe the fire started from a fridge on the ground floor of the resort. The fire then spread rapidly after a gas cylinder in the kitchen exploded.

The presence of flammable chemicals in a warehouse may also have increased the intensity of the fire. However, the actual cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, investigators said.

The fire broke out on the morning of 17 October at the three-storey resort beside Marine Drive near Patuartek beach in Ukhiya. The bodies of 10 tourists were recovered in the incident. Guest accommodation was on the upper two floors of the resort, while the ground floor housed a restaurant and staff quarters.

According to Ukhiya Police Station officer-in-charge Atikur Rahman, interrogation of the arrested assistant manager of the resort and initial inquiries have produced information that the fire started from a fridge short circuit. A gas cylinder in the kitchen is then believed to have exploded.

The OC said the investigation has found that flammable chemicals were kept in the resort’s warehouse. Alongside that, strong winds and the wooden structure may have helped the fire spread quickly. However, details of exactly what kind of chemicals were kept in the warehouse are not yet known.

The investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector Rimon Ghosh, said various pieces of information are emerging about the cause of the fire and further investigation is needed to confirm what actually happened. A district administration investigation committee has also visited the scene. According to one committee member, the issues of a fire starting from an electrical short circuit and a subsequent gas cylinder explosion have initially come to the fore. A detailed report will be given after the investigation ends.

The main accused in the case filed over the fire, resort owner Tanvir Sultan Mia, is still absconding. A police officer involved in the investigation claimed he is currently in Indonesia. Another owner of the resort, Newaz Morshed, is also said to be in hiding.

Police have arrested the resort’s assistant manager, Zahid Hossain, in the incident. A seven-day remand has been sought to interrogate him, but the remand application has not yet been heard.

The resort, built on about 20 decimals of land, used wood in various parts. Large parts of the room floors, walls and stairs were made of wood, which those concerned believe created a risk of the fire spreading quickly. Various wooden parts of the resort burned in the fire. The establishment was being run with a trade licence from the local union parishad.

Jaliapalong Union Parishad chairman S M Syed Alam said a trade licence was issued in the name of TupTup resort after taking the prescribed fee according to the rules. However, according to him, after the fire it emerged that the establishment did not have approvals from the Fire Service, the Department of Environment or the Cox’s Bazar Development Authority. That has raised questions about the resort’s safety arrangements and the legality of its operation.

Meanwhile, there is a difference between relatives’ accounts and the police count over exactly how many tourists were at the resort at the time of the fire. Relatives claim that on the night of 16 October there were 21 tourists, including women and children, at the resort. As two went to the beach the next morning, 19 were present when the fire broke out. By their count, the bodies of 10 were recovered, six were injured and two survived by jumping. By that count, one more person remains unaccounted for, they claim.

On the other hand, Ukhiya OC Atikur Rahman said that according to the police’s initial inquiry, 19 guests were in eight rooms when the fire broke out. Among them, the bodies of 10 were recovered, seven were injured and received treatment in hospital, and two escaped by jumping. He claimed the investigation has found no information that anyone beyond those 19 is missing. District administration investigation committee chief and Additional District Magistrate Tasnim Jahan said the issue of one more person being missing had come up after the bodies were recovered. The Fire Service later searched again but found no further body. The missing-person matter is being looked at seriously, she said.

After the incident, safety arrangements have been under discussion among tourists and local people who came to see the resort. Dhaka businessman Tofayel Ahmad said he was heartbroken watching video of the fire, and that ensuring safety arrangements and bringing those responsible to account are necessary to prevent such loss of life in future. Gafur Uddin, a businessman from Raozan in Chattogram, also expressed concern about the safety arrangements of resorts and cottages built in tourist areas. The deaths of 10 tourists in the TupTup resort fire have raised fresh questions about safety in the local tourism sector. Those concerned are now waiting for the final outcome of the investigation into the actual cause of the fire, the resort’s fire safety arrangements and the allegation of a missing person.