On May 7th around 5:30 PM, a fire erupted at Kyeinnipyin Muslim Refugee Camp in Pauktaw Township, Rakhine State, resulting in the destruction of 150 houses and 35 dormitories, and leaving over 3000 people homeless.
According to an official at Kyeinnipyin Refugee Camp who spoke to the Narinjara, the fire originated from the house of a resident named U Elia.The fire accidentally started when his wife was cooking.
The fire continued for several hours until it had burned down all the houses that were in its path. It was eventually extinguished around 9:00 PM, U Aung Kyaw Tun, an official of the camp, told the Narinjara.
After the fire, 3710 residents of the camp were left homeless. They are currently seeking temporary shelter in schools, as well as the homes of their relatives and friends.
U Aung Kyaw Tun said, "No one was injured in the fire, but numerous houses were reduced to ashes, including around a dozen that were estimated to be worth up to 15 million Kyats each. In addition to the property damage, stored grain in some of the houses caught fire and valuable items such as money and goldwares were lost as people couldn't retrieve them in time. The camp had been storing rice provided by the World Food Program (WFP), but unfortunately, a significant amount of it was also destroyed in the fire. This is particularly devastating as the price of rice is currently increasing.”
U Elia, the owner of the house where the fire originated, and his wife are currently evading authorities, U Aung Kyaw Tun added.
On the night of May 7th, the deputy administrator of Pauktaw Township, along with officials from various government departments, visited Kyeinnipyin Refugee Camp, which had been ravaged by the fire. Another field inspection is scheduled for the following day.
The Kyeinnipyin camp was established in 2012 to provide shelter for approximately 7000 Muslim refugees who were internally displaced due to the conflict in Rakhine State at that time.
