A devastating fire erupted at the 26th Rohingya camp in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, late on Thursday (16 January), claiming the life of a child and leaving two individuals missing, according to camp administration sources.
The inferno ignited around 11pm in Block G-2 of the camp, said Mostak Ahmed, the assistant camp-in-charge of Camp 26.
"The deceased child, who was around 5-6 years old, was asleep at the time of the incident. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire," he stated.
Despite the combined efforts of four fire service units and Rohingya residents, it took nearly an hour to bring the flames under control, by which time the fire had consumed over a hundred homes.
Camp leader Ayas reported, "Suddenly, we saw fierce flames rising near the market, which quickly spread throughout the area."
Although the extent of the damage is yet to be determined, emergency response teams, including camp administration, law enforcement, and volunteers, are actively coordinating relief efforts in the fire-stricken area.
This tragedy follows a similar incident on 24 December, when a fire in Ukhiya’s Camp 1W destroyed over 600 homes and resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including a child.
