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Gas fire burns for 35 hours in Cox’s Bazar, raising explosion fears
Published : Wednesday, 28 October, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Observer Online Report
A fire fuelled by underground gas has continued to burn for more than 35 hours in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, raising fears of a possible explosion and landslide.
The fire was still burning at 4:30 PM on Wednesday, more than a day after gas erupted during the drilling of a deep tube well. Experts have warned that attempts to extinguish the flames forcibly could be dangerous because of the high gas pressure and flow.
Experts initially estimated that the fire could continue for at least another seven days if the underground gas supply persists. However, the duration remains uncertain and will depend on the flow of gas and underground conditions.
A specialist team from Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) visited the site on Wednesday afternoon and collected gas samples. The team was led by SM Nafifun Arham, BAPEX's manager for geology.
BAPEX, the district administration and the upazila administration have warned of possible explosions and landslides at any time near the gas outlet. Local residents and visitors have been instructed to maintain a safe distance.
Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter said people had been asked to stay at least 200 metres away from the site. Media personnel were also urged to maintain a safe distance while carrying out their professional duties.
The fire broke out around 5:30 AM on Tuesday, October 27, beside a residential property near a small canal adjacent to a small bridge in Inani.
According to local residents, gas erupted forcefully from a depth of around 1,000 feet during the third day of drilling. The flames ignited shortly afterwards, raising concerns about the safety of the site and surrounding areas.
Four Fire Service units, an army firefighting team and police initially worked to control the blaze. Despite attempts using water, sand and other methods, they failed to extinguish it. BAPEX was subsequently called in to assess the situation.
SM Nafifun Arham said the gas was emerging from an underground layer under high pressure and at considerable intensity. Forcibly extinguishing the fire could cause flames to spread underground or ignite fires elsewhere, he warned.
Experts have advised reducing the gas flow and pressure to bring the situation under control. The fire may go out naturally once the gas stops escaping from the underground layer.
Meanwhile, electricity has been suspended across an area of around 15 kilometres from Inani to Monkhali because of fears that the flames could spread to electricity poles and power lines, leaving nearly 8,000 families without power.
Local resident Shamimul Islam said the prolonged outage had caused considerable hardship, including a shortage of water for household use. Residents were also living in fear because of the persistent fire.
Kaizar Nur, deputy general manager of the Ukhiya Rural Electricity Association, said alternative arrangements, including changes to power lines, were being made to restore electricity.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, 01550707296
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Online-email: [email protected]
