A massive fire swept through Rohingya Camp No 16 in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, in the early hours of Tuesday, destroying hundreds of shelters along with educational and religious facilities. Preliminary reports suggest that a camp resident, Mohammad Anis, had heated water on a gas stove at around 2:45am before falling asleep. The stove remained lit, the water dried up, and a fire broke out, quickly spreading to adjacent shelters. Two units of the Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene and began firefighting operations, assisted by Rohingya volunteers. Earlier, on December 26 last year, a major blaze at Camp No 4 destroyed a hospital, while another fire on the night of December 25 damaged more than ten houses at the Kutupalong registered Rohingya camp.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 20, 2026 05:01 UTC