DNA tests may take 3-4 weeks to identify 10 Cox’s Bazar resort fire victims
Tests expected to help identify victims of Cox’s Bazar blaze.
Grieving relatives of those killed or missing in the Patuartek resort fire in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, are awaiting identification of 10 charred bodies as authorities begin DNA testing, a process that could take three to four weeks.
Subaktagin Mahmud Sohel, resident medical officer at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, said the bodies were being preserved in the morgue as visual identification was impossible.
Samples from the bodies and victims' first-degree relatives will be sent to the Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) DNA laboratory in Dhaka. The bodies will be handed over after the results are matched.
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Relatives are demanding faster identification and accountability. Faisal Jahan, whose wife Nasrin Akter Mukta died in the fire, called for a proper investigation and punishment for those responsible, questioning how the resort operated without required approvals and fire safety measures despite official warnings.
Naeemuddin, who lost his elder brother, sister-in-law and their two children, said adequate emergency exits might have prevented some deaths. He called for an investigation into the building materials, its location and how the fire spread.
Jewel Rana, who lost his close friend Nahid, also demanded exemplary punishment and accountability for negligence.
A seven-member investigation committee visited Tuptup Resto and Resort around 11am yesterday, interviewing eyewitnesses and locals.
Tasnim Jahan, additional deputy magistrate and head of the committee, said the resort had no approvals from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Department of Environment or other relevant authorities.
Despite a final notice issued against the establishment, its management took no effective action, she said. The committee is investigating the cause of the fire and the resort's unauthorised operations.
11 reported missing, but 10 bodies recovered
The fire broke out around 7am on Saturday beside Marine Drive. Three Fire Service units began operations within an hour and brought the blaze under control around 10am. Ten bodies were recovered, and seven injured people received treatment, but relatives reported 11 people missing.
Among the missing are four members of a family from Jashore: Nahidur Rahman, 41, son of Matiar Rahman of Mohonpur village under Manirampur Municipality; his wife, Afsana Matin Tanji, 36; and their daughters, Ruzaina Inaya, seven, and Sunaina Ihana, three.
The other missing people are Ishrat Jahan Maliha, 30, wife of Md Ashikul Islam of Bashundhara Residential Area; East West University student Melita Mehezabin Alvi, 23; Jagannath University student Layla Jahan Nabila, 27; Nafista Mim, 27; Faria Kabir, 33, Nafiz's elder sister, and her five-year-old nephew Faizan Ahmed; and Nasrin Akter Mukta, 29, a teacher at Swapna Bilash School in Savar.
Tasnim Jahan said the committee was using available technology and evidence to establish whether the remaining missing person was at the resort during the fire. DNA results should help clarify the discrepancy, she said.
Three injured people, including a doctor couple, were flown to Dhaka by air ambulance arranged by the district administration, Sohel said. The couple had comparatively minor injuries but requested transfer. Meherunnisa, who was seriously injured, was sent with her husband.
Two other injured people were discharged and left for Dhaka to join their families. No fire victims remained admitted to the hospital, Sohel said.
Resort manager jailed in case accusing 23
Police have filed a negligence case against 23 people, including resort owner Tanvir Ahmed, over the deaths. Manager Mohammad Sumon has been arrested and sent to jail, while other members of the ownership group remain at large.
Ukhiya police chief Atikur Rahman Majumder said Tanvir, a resident of Boalkhali, was the prime accused. The case names four people and lists 19 others as unidentified accused, including Sumon.
Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Md Ahidur Rahman said a police sub-inspector filed the case. Preliminary findings indicate that the resort operated without adequate safety arrangements for guests. Police are investigating other people connected with its management and searching for the remaining accused.
