The fire service says it has recovered the remains of two more people from the BM Depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda.
Earlier, the authorities lowered the death toll from the deadly fire to 41, reports bdnews24.com.
“Based on the evidence, we believe one of them was a firefighter, while the other was a security worker who was on duty at the depot," Md Anisur Rahman, deputy director of the Chattogram Division fire service, said on Tuesday.
As of Sunday, the local administration had confirmed the deaths of 41 people, including nine fire service personnel. There were no additional reports of bodies or deaths on Monday. But the fire service has now recovered the remains of two more victims.
“We have confirmed the deaths of nine fire service personnel so far and another three are missing. DNA tests are underway. We hope to have confirmation soon.”
Of the 41 bodies found previously, 24 were identified as of Monday. The rest were so badly damaged that they could not be identified by sight. The CID has set up booths at Chattogram Medical College Hospital and is collecting DNA samples from relatives to try and match with the bodies.
The blaze at the privately-run container depot, some 30 km from Chattogram city, started on Saturday night. Some containers were still on fire on Tuesday afternoon. Army and navy personnel are supporting the firefighting efforts at the site.
The depot was built in 2011 with investment from private companies in Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
The fire service believes the presence of chemical containers stoked the initial fire, giving rise to the inferno at the depot.
According to the depot owners, containers of hydrogen peroxide were present at the scene.
Asked how many containers of chemicals were at the depot, he said: “The depot owners have not yet confirmed the exact number of containers. They have given us counts of both 28 and 30. We have told them to move the containers holding chemicals.”
“Some containers are still smoking. If we are reckless in our approach, the fire might suddenly be stoked by combustible materials in these containers. To avoid any further disaster, we have asked for chemical containers to be removed to another part of the depot.”
The owners say they are trying to comply with the request, but moving the containers is risky and cannot be done speedily.
Though 25 units of the fire service were deployed at the scene on Sunday, only two are still working there, Anisur said.
“The fire is largely under control. Its reach is limited.”
All the ponds in the area were depleted during the battle against the fire and the fire service is now using trucks to bring water from further away, he added.
