5 killed, 100 injured in Bangladesh depot hearth

A large hearth ripped by means of a container depot in Bangladesh’s Sitakunda, killing no less than 5 folks and injuring over 100.

Image for illustration (Photo: File)

At least 5 folks died and a few 100 have been injured after an enormous hearth tore by means of a container depot in Bangladesh’s southeastern city of Sitakunda, officers mentioned Sunday.

The hearth broke out at an inland container storage facility simply 40 kilometres (25 miles) exterior of the nation’s foremost sea port of Chittagong shortly earlier than midnight, hearth service official Jalal Ahmed mentioned.

Multiple firefighting models rushed to the depot to douse the fireplace when an enormous explosion rocked the positioning, injuring scores of individuals, together with firefighters.

Chittagong’s chief physician, Elias Chowdhury, advised AFP that no less than 5 folks have been killed and a few 100 have been injured.

Of the injured, some 20 folks have been in vital situation with burns overlaying between 60 to 90 % of their our bodies.

Emergency crews have been nonetheless working to place out the fireplace Sunday morning, and native hospitals, together with navy clinics, have been treating the injured.

Ruhul Amin Sikder, spokesman for the Bangladesh Inland Container Association (BICA), mentioned among the containers on the 30-acre non-public depot contained chemical substances, together with hydrogen peroxide.

The director of the ability, known as B.M. Container Depot, Mujibur Rahman, mentioned the rationale behind the fireplace was nonetheless unknown. He added the ability employs some 600 folks.

In 2020, three employees have been killed after an oil tank exploded in one other container depot within the neighbouring Patenga space.

There are 19 non-public inland container depots within the South Asian nation dealing with the nation’s exports and a big chunk of imported items.