Death toll in Chattogram container depot fire hits 32

The death toll in the fire at a container depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda has climbed to 32 and many people have been admitted to local hospitals with injuries.

The fire broke out at the BM Container Depot in the Kadmarsul area around 9:30 pm on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com. 

Chattogram Fire Service personnel struggled to bring the fire under control and reinforcements were called in from Feni, Noakhali and Cumilla at around 3:30 am.

Anisur Rahman, deputy director of Chattogram divisional fire service, said on Sunday morning that although the fire was brought under control, it spread again due to repeated explosions.

Those who arrived at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment said that poisonous gas was spreading along with smoke after the blasts.

As of 11:15 am on Saturday, 32 bodies have been brought to the morgue of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said ASI Alauddin Talukder of the hospital’s police outpost.

Five of the dead have been identified. They are Kumira Fire Station nursing attendant Md Moniruzzaman, 32, Mominul Haque, 24, Md Mohiuddin, 24, Habibur Rahman, 26, Rabiul Alam, 19.

Nazmul Akhter, general manager of sales and marketing at the BM Depot, arrived at the scene around 11 am.

“We will confirm the cause of the fire after an investigation,” he told the media. “It could have been sabotage. Only a proper investigation can reveal the truth.”

Ashraful Alam Khan Swapon, the depot’s C&F Agent Association customs affairs secretary, was accompanying Nazmul.

“The depot was storing goods amounting to Tk 10 billion. Hundreds of containers were burnt. There were many workers on the night shift. It is a major blow to the country. Most of the goods here are for export.”

Of the dead, Mohiuddin died at the Park View Hospital while receiving treatment.

Among the dead are five fire service personnel, said Shahjahan Sikder, deputy assistant director of the media cell at the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

They were part of the first responder team. Moniruzzaman was among them.

Fifteen burnt and injured fire service personnel are being treated at different hospitals, including CMCH. Shahjahan said that two more workers could not be traced.

RAB-7 chief Md Yusuf said, “We tried to rescue those trapped inside the depot. We have been able to rescue many people.”

At least 11 policemen were burnt and injured in the fire. Two of them have been sent to Dhaka for better treatment.

Patients have also been taken to various private hospitals in the city. Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammed Elias Chowdhury urged the city's doctors to come forward to serve the injured.

Local journalist Mizanur Rahman Yusuf said the explosion was heard from as far as three kilometres away.

Initial reports suggested the fire had originated from chemicals, said Nurul Alam Dulal, senior station officer at Kumria Fire Station.