Dhaka: At least 49 people were killed after a large fire occurred at the shipping container depot in Chittagong Bangladesh last night, officials said today.The fire in the depot in the Sitakunda area has caused around 300 people to be injured and the authorities worry that the number of deaths will rise.
According to police officer Nurul Alam, posted at the Chittagong Medical College police station, the initial investigation has indicated that fires occurred due to chemical reactions.Local media reported that the fire spread following the explosion.Police officers said that while the fire occurred around 9 pm and the explosion occurred around midnight. After the explosion, the fire spread quickly.
Istakul Islam, Head of the Ministry of Health and Services at Red Crescent Youth Chittagong, said, “More than 450 people were injured in this incident. The count of death could be more,” he said.According to sources, the explosion was such that the nearest house window panel was destroyed.
The Chittagong Fire Department and Assistant Director of Civil Defense MD Faruk Hossain Sikdar said: “Around 19 fire extinguishers worked to extinguish the fire and six ambulances were also available on the spot.” The container depot has been operating since May 2011.