Dhaka: A series of massive fires and explosions at a private chemical container depot in the southeast Bangladesh At least 49 people, including nine firefighters, were killed, and more than 450 others were injured, officials said on Sunday, as officials still struggled to douse the blaze. According to doctors, the death toll may rise further as several injured are undergoing treatment, who have sustained severe burns. Even after 23 hours of the fire on Saturday night, firefighters with the help of army personnel were unable to penetrate deep into the blast site to douse the flames. Shipping container facility is at Sitakunda, which is 40 km away from the port city. Chittagong, Containers filled with the chemical were exploding on Sunday as firefighters tried to douse the blaze and officials said the military had joined the mission. Drone footage showed thick columns of smoke and rows of lit containers.
“The deafening explosions turned the sky a blazing orange color throughout the night,” a neighborhood resident told ATV channel, “The explosions threw many people meters away from where they were standing. Residents said the explosions shook the neighborhood within a radius of about four kilometres. The pungent smell in the air forced rescue workers to cover their noses with masks, while they also complained of itchy eyes apparently caused by the chemicals. Officials said the depot – a site with 21 acres of land – stores about 4,000 containers, many of which are filled with clothing earmarked for Western retailers. Chittagong Civil Surgeon Mohd Ilyas Hussain He said firefighters and policemen were among the injured. Witnesses said hundreds of distressed relatives rushed from one hospital to another in search of their loved ones. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Fire service officials said they suspect it may have originated in a container of hydrogen peroxide and quickly spread to other containers. newton slaveA fire service official said containers containing hydrogen peroxide and other sulfur were still exploding.
Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters. Last year, a fire broke out at a food and beverage factory in Bangladesh, killing at least 52 people. In February 2019, a fire broke out in a 400-year-old area full of apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part. Dhaka And at least 67 people died. In 2012, around 117 workers died after being trapped behind a closed exhaust at a garment factory in Dhaka. The country’s worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. At least 123 people died in 2010 in another fire in old Dhaka that illegally stored chemicals in a house.
“The deafening explosions turned the sky a blazing orange color throughout the night,” a neighborhood resident told ATV channel, “The explosions threw many people meters away from where they were standing. Residents said the explosions shook the neighborhood within a radius of about four kilometres. The pungent smell in the air forced rescue workers to cover their noses with masks, while they also complained of itchy eyes apparently caused by the chemicals. Officials said the depot – a site with 21 acres of land – stores about 4,000 containers, many of which are filled with clothing earmarked for Western retailers. Chittagong Civil Surgeon Mohd Ilyas Hussain He said firefighters and policemen were among the injured. Witnesses said hundreds of distressed relatives rushed from one hospital to another in search of their loved ones. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Fire service officials said they suspect it may have originated in a container of hydrogen peroxide and quickly spread to other containers. newton slaveA fire service official said containers containing hydrogen peroxide and other sulfur were still exploding.
Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters. Last year, a fire broke out at a food and beverage factory in Bangladesh, killing at least 52 people. In February 2019, a fire broke out in a 400-year-old area full of apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part. Dhaka And at least 67 people died. In 2012, around 117 workers died after being trapped behind a closed exhaust at a garment factory in Dhaka. The country’s worst industrial disaster occurred the following year, when the Rana Plaza garment factory outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. At least 123 people died in 2010 in another fire in old Dhaka that illegally stored chemicals in a house.