Dhaka, January 17 (HS): A massive fire broke out in Mochni Rohingya camp in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh on Thursday night claiming the life of a child and more than 100 kutcha-pukka houses were reduced to ashes.

About 1 million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar, located 150 km south of Chittagong which is the world's largest Rohingya refugee settlement.

According to the sources, Additional Deputy Inspector General of the 16th Armed Police Battalion (APBN) MD Kausar Sikdar confirmed the death of the child due to fire in the Rohingya refugee camp. He said that the child could not be identified. Some people have also suffered burns but their exact number is not yet known.

Kausar said that the fire started in a house within Block P-3 of the Rohingya camp in Hnila Union and spread rapidly. Rohingya camp dwellers cooperated with APBN personnel in extinguishing the fire. Two vehicles from Teknaf Fire Service Station reached the spot as soon as the information was received. The fire was extinguished after some time.

Teknaf Fire Service Operations Chief Mukul Kumar Nath said that the flames engulfed at least 100 houses. The affected area turned into a pile of rubble within no time.

Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar