A fire broke out from beneath the ground during tube-well installation work in the Inani tourist area of Ukhiya, Cox`s Bazar, on Tuesday morning (October 27).

The presence of a distinct gas odor and continuous flames has led officials to suspect an underground natural gas pocket as the source of the outbreak.

The incident occurred around 8:30 AM near the Chhotobridge area in Inani. Flames continued to burn at the site as of 10:00 AM, prompting three units from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence to deploy to control the situation.

Ukhiya Fire Service Station Officer Saidul Islam confirmed the incident, stating that firefighting teams arrived promptly at the scene. "Flames are still rising from the pit. Initial assessments suggest an underground natural gas pocket caused the eruption," he said.

The intense flames generated panic among local residents and hospitality workers in the nearby hotel zone. Alamin, a local youth working at an adjacent five-star hotel, reported that the fire erupted very close to residential quarters housing hotel staff.

To mitigate safety risks, the Ukhiya Rural Electrification Society (Pallibi Bidyut Samity) temporarily shut down power along a 15-kilometer section of the 33 kV power line between Monkhali and Patuartek, as flames neared overhead electrical wires. Emergency teams remain on-site to secure the area.