Cox’s Bazar, Jan 19 (V7N) — A devastating fire broke out at a Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox’s Bazar early Monday morning, destroying hundreds of shelters and community structures, including schools and mosques.

The fire erupted around 3:00 am at Shafiullah Kata Camp No. 16 under Palangkhali Union. According to local sources and the Fire Service, the blaze originated from a learning center (Shikhon Kendra) in D-4 block of the camp and rapidly spread to nearby houses and makeshift sheds.

The sudden outbreak of fire in the middle of the night triggered panic among camp residents, forcing hundreds of Rohingyas to flee their shelters in search of safety.

Ukhia Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Dollar Tripura said that two firefighting units initially rushed to the scene upon receiving the report. Later, a total of eight fire service units worked for nearly three hours to bring the fire under control, which was finally extinguished at around 5:50 am.

Although the fire caused extensive damage, there were no immediate reports of casualties, he said, adding that the assessment of losses was ongoing.

Confirming the incident, Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rifat Asma said that the fire destroyed 448 houses, 10 schools, two mosques and one maktab. “So far, no loss of life has been reported,” she added.

The situation is currently under control, and authorities are continuing efforts to assess the damage and provide emergency assistance to the affected families.

Earlier, a hospital in Camp No. 4 was completely gutted by fire on December 26, while more than 10 houses were damaged in another fire at the Kutupalong registered camp on December 25, raising renewed concerns over fire safety in the densely populated Rohingya camps.

END/SMA/AJ