Thousands 'Left Homeless' After Fire Tears Through Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said children and families had been “left homeless” after a fire tore through a section of a refugee camp complex in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, on Sunday, March 5.

The world’s largest refugee site, the UN Refugee Agency said some 2,000 shelters had been destroyed, with 12,000 people thought to have lost their accommodation. Most of the site’s inhabitants are Rohingya refugees that fled ethnic violence in neighboring Myanmar.

Citing officials, the BBC reported that the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and was under control within three hours. The cause of the fire, which was first reported at Camp 11, was unclear.

Footage from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society shows large flames burning through structures and thick smoke billowing from the complex.

At publication, there were no reports of any deaths Credit: Bangladesh Red Crescent Society via Storyful