Three tourists drowned and two others remain missing after being swept away by strong waves while bathing at Himchari beach in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:30 pm near the museum adjacent to Marina Resort on the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf Marine Drive.
A group of 12 people from Dhaka, believed to be from the Uttara area, had gone to the beach. Five of them entered the sea to bathe when large waves and strong currents pulled them under. Lifeguards, fire service personnel, beach workers and local residents quickly launched a rescue operation. Three of the victims were recovered but were already dead. Search efforts for the remaining two continued until at least 7:30 pm without success. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge A. K. Fazlul Haque confirmed the incident and said efforts are underway to identify the deceased and locate the missing persons.
Imtiaz Ahmed, regional director of the private lifeguard organisation Sea Safe, said the group arrived at the Himchari beach, about nine kilometres south of the town, around 4 pm. He noted that Sea Safe maintains 27 lifeguards along the roughly five-kilometre stretch from Kolatoli to Laboni Point. However, the long stretch further south through Dariyanagar, Himchari, Patuartek, Inani and towards Teknaf lacks adequate rescue personnel.
Ahmed warned that at least 20 dangerous underwater channels (hidden currents) currently exist in the Himchari–Dariyanagar area as well as at Kolatoli, Sugandha and Laboni Points. Red flags warning against bathing in high-risk zones have been raised at multiple locations, yet many visitors continue to ignore them.
With more than three lakh tourists currently in Cox’s Bazar during the peak holiday period, hotels, guest houses, resorts and cottages are fully booked. Crowds at Laboni Point for a Durga idol immersion earlier in the afternoon prompted many visitors to head towards the less-patrolled southern beaches, increasing the risk of accidents.
**Recent tourist deaths highlight ongoing safety concerns**
This latest tragedy adds to a string of recent fatal incidents involving tourists in Cox’s Bazar:
– On 17 October 2026, a devastating fire at the wooden TupTup Resto & Resort in Patuartek near Inani Beach killed 10 tourists, including members of one family and a five-year-old child. Several others were injured. The resort reportedly lacked a proper fire safety licence and had earlier received warnings from the Fire Service.
– In mid-September 2026, a 20-year-old college student from Kishoreganj drowned at Sugandha Point after being caught in strong currents while trying to retrieve a football from the sea.
– In late August 2026, two cousins from Dhaka were swept away while bathing; one body was recovered the same day and the other the following day from Sonadia Island.
– On 27 September (previous year reference in earlier reports), a tourist drowned after being swept away at Laboni Point.
Lifeguard officials and local authorities have repeatedly urged visitors to stay within designated safe zones, heed warning flags, avoid entering the water during rough sea conditions or near hidden channels, and never swim alone or in unsupervised areas.
Search operations for the two missing tourists at Himchari continue. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
