Police have filed a case against eight suspects over the inferno at the BM Container Depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda.
The case was filed at Sitakunda Police Station under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code SI Ashraf Siddique on Tuesday night, said Chattogram District Additional Superintendent of Police Ashraful Islam, reports bdnews24.com.
The case has been filed against eight suspects because of the mismanagement and negligence of the depot authority, he said.
Though they were identified as involved in the operation of the depot, the police official said he would not give additional details on the suspects until they were arrested.
Asked whether any of the owners were accused in the case, Ashraf said the matter was being investigated and if specific regulation violations were found then the owners would be added to the suspect list.
The blaze at the private container depot in the Keshabpur area started on Saturday night. The fire service, with support from the army, the navy, and other government agencies, had been trying to put out the fire and conduct rescue operations for the past three days.
On Sunday, the district administration counted 41 deaths from the blaze, including nine firefighters. The remains of two other people were recovered from the depot debris on Tuesday, the fire service said. Another victim of the fire succumbed to his injuries at Chattogram Medical College Hospital early on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 44.
Most of the victims are fire service personnel, depot workers, container vehicle drivers, assistants and loaders. Over 100 people have been admitted to hospitals in Chattogram and Dhaka with injuries. Some of them are in critical condition.
The fire was completely extinguished on Wednesday morning, some 86 hours after it first started, according to Lt Col Md Ariful Islam of the 18th Bir Unit of the Infantry Division.
