A massive fire has raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya in Bangladesh, leaving thousands homeless.
Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Balukhali Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar district. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
A massive fire raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya in southern Bangladesh on Sunday, leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said.
No casualties were reported immediately at the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar district, said Emdadul Haque, a fire service official.
The UNHCR in Bangladesh said in a tweet that Rohingya refugee volunteers were responding to the fire with the agency and its partners providing support. It provided no further details.
More than one million Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar over several decades, including about 740,000 who crossed the border starting in August 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown.
Conditions in Myanmar have worsened since a military takeover in 2021, and attempts to send them back have failed.
The fire started from a room in the B block of camp number 11 of Balukhali on Sunday. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
‘We currently don’t have an estimate for damages but there are no reports of casualties,’ said Rafiqul Islam, additional police superintendent at Cox’s Bazar. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
The refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh are prone to such blazes. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
Similar fires occurred in January 2022 and March 2021. While the fire in 2022 destroyed only homes, the massive blaze in 2021 killed at least 15 refugees and destroyed more than 10,000 homes. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
The UNHCR in Bangladesh said in a tweet that Rohingya refugee volunteers were responding to the fire with the agency and its partners were providing support. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
Rohingya refugees look on as flames and smoke rise after a fire broke out at Balukhali refugee camp. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]
Advertisement
Rohingya refugees try to salvage their belongings. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]
More than one million Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar over several decades, including about 740,000 who crossed the border starting in August 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Discover more from Sri lanka Muslims Web Portal
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
Sri lanka Muslims Web Portal Diversity and Inclusiveness
A massive fire has raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya in Bangladesh, leaving thousands homeless.
