A devastating fire at the Balukhali Rohingya camp in Ukhiya Upazila has left one woman dead and at least 40 makeshift shelters destroyed, forcing thousands of refugees to spend the night under the open sky.
The fire broke out around 3:00 a.m. on Thursday (January 12) in Blocks E-5 and E-14 of Camp-11 in Balukhali. According to camp sources, the flames spread rapidly while residents were asleep, triggering panic among the refugees.
The victim, identified as Sona Banu, was seriously injured in the chaos as people rushed to escape the blaze. She later died at the scene.
Several units of the Fire Service rushed to the spot and managed to bring the fire under control after nearly an hour of efforts. Initial reports suggest that the blaze may have originated from an NGO forum office located in Block E-14. However, authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause.
Dollar Tripura, station master of Ukhiya Fire Service, confirmed that around 40 makeshift shelters were damaged in the incident.
