Tuptup Resto & Resort in the Patuartek area of Inani Beach in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, was operating without a fire safety licence despite receiving an official warning four months ago, the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) said today following a fire that killed 10 tourists.Brig Gen Sultanul Afreen Junaid, director general of the FSCD, confirmed the regulatory violations during a press briefing at the Fire service headquarters in Gulistan, Dhaka, today.The briefing was initially convened to outline the FSCD’s nationwide fire safety preparedness during Durga Puja.According to the director general, an FSCD inspector visited the resort in June and served a formal notice on June 11, flagging the structure as “hazardous”.Despite our inspector visiting the site in June, warning them that the building was risky, and serving a notice, they paid little heed to it and kept the business running,” Brig Gen Junaid said. “Directly speaking, they were operating the resort without permission.”

Fire service officials at the scene in Inani also said the resort had faulty documentation, lacked adequate fire extinguishers and had no proper firefighting measures in place.Ten bodies were recovered after the fire broke out at the three-storey, wooden resort this morning. Four people were injured and taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, two units from the Ukhiya Fire Service station reached the scene at 8:00am after receiving information about the fire at 7:25am. They brought the blaze under control at 11:00am.Syed Mohammad Morshed Hossain, deputy assistant director of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service, said the resort had been completely burnt to charcoal.

Fire service officials said some of the injured suffered burns, while others were hurt while trying to escape. The cause of the fire and the identities of the deceased could not be determined immediately.