At least 44 people were killed and over 450 were injured in a massive fire at a chemical container depot in Bangladesh. Rescue officials had rushed to the scene to douse the blaze and evacuated people but five of the firefighters were also killed while battling the blaze.
The incident took place at the BM Inland Container Depot, located near Chittagong Seaport.
Cause of Fire
The fire broke out after explosions in a container full of chemicals but the exact cause of the fire is still not determined.
Officials have revealed that there were several explosions after the initial blast as the blaze continued to spread.
Explosives Expert Were Called From The Military
Authorities had to call explosives experts from the military as firefighters failed to control the blaze.
Officials have revealed that there were several explosions after the initial blast as the blaze continued to spread.
Authorities had to call explosives experts from the military as firefighters failed to control the fire.
"Around 19 firefighting units are working to douse the blaze and six ambulances are also available on the spot," said Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defense Assistant Director Md Faruk Hossain Sikdar, according to Dhaka Tribune.
Expressing shock at the incident, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered a proper arrangement for the medical treatment of the injured people.
The powerful explosion was heard till 4 kilometers and it shattered the buildings of the nearby buildings.
Witnesses revealed that the fire broke out on Saturday night around 11:45 pm and spread from one container to another as one among them was full of chemicals.
BM Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture, is set up as an inland container depot that has been operating since May 2011.
Due to the lack of safety norms, in the past, Bangladesh has witnessed a number of industrial fires, which resulted in the death of collectively hundreds of people.
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