DHAKA: A huge fire swept through Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh on Monday, destroying thousands of homes belonging to the Muslim minority.
The blaze at Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar district erupted in the late afternoon on Monday and spread quickly through at least four blockswith people scrambling to recover their possessions amid burning shanties and tents.
No casualties were immediately reported, but deaths and injuries were feared. “Fire services, rescue and response teams and volunteers are at the scene to try to control the fire and prevent it spreading further,” said Louise Donovan, spokesperson for UN refugee agency UNHCR in Cox’s Bazar.
Rohingya refugees in the camps said many homes were burned down and several people had died, but neither the authorities nor UNHCR confirmed there were any deaths.
More than a million Rohingya live in the mainland camps in southern Bangladesh, the vast majority having fled Myanmar in 2017 from a military-led crackdown.
The UNHCR said humanitarian partners had mobilised hundreds of volunteers from nearby camps for the support operation, as well as fire safety vehicles and equipment.
Louise Donovan, spokesperson of the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR), said firefighters and rescue and response teams were at the scene trying to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading further.
“All partners are providing support together with the RRRC and emergency services,” she said. “So far the fire has affected shelters, health centres, distribution points and other facilities,” spokeswoman Donovan said.
Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said they are are trying to control the blaze.
Another large blaze tore through the camp in January, destroying homes but causing no casualties. According to the UNHCR, more than 550 shelters homes belonging to at least 3,500 people were either totally or partially destroyed in the blaze at Nayapara camp.
