A family was hours away from returning to Dhaka. But Cox’s Bazar resort fire claimed six of them

They were supposed to be heading home to Dhaka in the morning. Instead, a fire at their Cox’s Bazar resort left six members of a family feared dead, turning the final hours of a two-day holiday into a nightmare for their loved ones.

The fire broke out around 6:30am on Saturday at TUPTUP Resto and Resort in Inani, along Marine Drive in Ukhiya Upazila.

Of the nine family members, two had gone to the beach and survived. Another escaped by jumping from the resort’s second floor but was injured.

Firefighters battled the blaze for two hours before bringing it under control around 8:30am.

Ten bodies were recovered, so badly burned that they could not be identified visually. DNA tests will be needed to establish their identities.

Relatives fear six missing members of the family are among the dead: Ishrat Jahan Maliha, wife of Ashiqul Islam from Dhaka’s Banasree; her sisters Layla Jahan Nabila, Milita Mehjabin Alvi and Fariha Kabir; Dhaka University student Nafis Tehami Jerif; and 5-year-old Faizan Ahmed.

The family had travelled from Dhaka on Thursday and planned to return on Saturday, with their journey home scheduled for 10:30am.

The two relatives who were at the beach rushed back after seeing the fire, but the intense heat stopped them from entering the resort.

Unable to reach their family members, they called their Dhaka-based relative Aminul Islam, who immediately flew to Cox’s Bazar.

The bodies were taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where Aminul spoke to reporters.

“My nieces and nephews are among the six who died. There are students from Dhaka University and Viqarunnisa [Noon School and College] here. Five children of my three sisters have died. One niece’s young child has also died,” he said.

“Six of the nine family members have died. Three survived.”