At least 25 people have died and more than 150 others have been injured in a major fire at a container depot in Bangladesh. “The death toll is expected to rise as the fire is still not fully contained,” Health Ministry chief Hasan Shahriar told AFP on Sunday. According to the medical director of the city of Chittagong, Elias Chowdhury, some of the injured are in life-threatening condition.
As reported by Jalal Ahmed of the local fire brigade, the fire broke out on Saturday evening at a domestic container warehouse in the southeastern city of Sitakunda, about 40 kilometers from Chittagong’s largest port. After several fire units went to the site of the fire, there was a huge explosion there, said local police chief, Abul Kalam Azad.
Five firefighters killed in major fire
According to authorities, numerous people were injured, including at least 40 firefighters and 10 police officers. Some suffered burns between 60 and 90 percent of their body surface. At least five firefighters were killed. Several hospitals were involved in caring for the injured.
The fire was still not extinguished by Sunday afternoon (local time). Bangladesh’s Inland Container Association (Bica) spokesman Ruhul Amin Sikder said some containers in the private container depot contain chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide.
The head of the local government, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said the cause of the fire is still unclear. According to him, about 600 people worked at the depot. Garments worth several million dollars were stored, which would be exported to Western retailers.
There are 19 privately operated container depots inland in Bangladesh. In 2020, an oil tank explosion at one of these depots in the Patenga region killed three people.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
