Rohingya camp fire in Bangladesh kills 2, destroys shelters

ANKARA

A massive fire swept through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, killing at least two people and destroying over 1,000 shelters and other structures, rights activists and the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

The fire, which lasted for two hours, broke out at the Kutupalong Rohingya Camp in Ukhiya in the southeastern Cox’s Bazar district.

Rohingya rights activist Ro Nay San Lwin said: "At least two refugees, including a child, tragically lost their lives."

Firefighters, backed by civil defense and local volunteers, managed to bring the blaze under control after two hours.

“The fire is under control thanks to the heroic efforts of the refugee community, Rohingya volunteer firefighters, and local fire service,” the Bangladesh office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on X.

"Urgent humanitarian assistance is desperately needed," Lwin added.

The bodies of the deceased were recovered, but their identities have yet to be confirmed.

Authorities have launched an investigation to learn the cause of the fire. According to locals, the fire may have started from an electrical short circuit or a gas cylinder used for cooking.

Bangladesh is hosting over 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, most of whom fled Myanmar in August 2017 during a military crackdown that human rights groups described as genocide.