Rohingya refugees left homeless by camp fire

STORY: Shariful Islam, a senior fireman from nearby town Ukhiya, who participated in extinguishing the fire, told Reuters more than 1,000 makeshift homes were destroyed in the blaze that broke out at 3 a.m. (2100 GMT on January 6).

The cause of the fire is still unknown and there have not been reports of casualties.

More than one million Rohingya refugees live in camps in Cox's Bazar, most having fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017, and fires often break out among its makeshift structures. A massive blaze in March 2021 killed at least 15 refugees and destroyed over 10,000 homes.

The fire happened on the same day as Bangladesh held its general election that is set to carry Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led alliance to a fourth straight term amid a boycott by the main opposition party.