Authorities in Bangladesh accused a container depot operator on Monday of failing to notify firefighters about a chemical stockpile before it exploded, killing at least 49 people, nine of whom were firefighters.
The death toll from the massive explosion, which occurred after a fire at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda and sent fireballs into the sky, was expected to rise even further.
On Monday, more than 36 hours after the explosion, some containers at the depot were still smouldering, preventing rescuers from searching the area around them for victims.
A dozen of the 300 people injured were in critical condition.
The nine firefighters killed are the worst toll for the fire department in the industrial-accident-prone country, where safety standards are lax and often ignored due to corruption.
The depot authority did not notify us that there were dangerous chemicals present.” Our officers were killed in the number of nine. Two fighters remain unaccounted for. “Several people are also missing,” said Mohammad Kamruzzaman, a fire department official, to AFP.
Purnachandra Mutsuddi, who led the firefighting effort on Saturday night at the 26-acre facility, said it “didn’t have any fire safety plan” and lacked firefighting equipment to put out the blaze before it became an inferno.
“The safety plan specifies how the depot will combat and control a fire.” But there was nothing,” Mutsuddi, an assistant director at Chittagong’s fire station, told AFP.
“They did not also inform us about the chemicals.” If they had, the number of casualties would have been much lower,” he said.
The BM Container Depot, located in Sitakunda, an industrial town 40 kilometres from Chittagong Port, is a joint venture between Bangladeshi and Dutch businessmen that employs approximately 600 people and began operations in 2012.
Its chairman is named Bert Pronk, a Dutch citizen, on its website, but AFP was unable to reach him for comment. There are few European businessmen in the country.
Another of its owners, according to local media, is a senior Awami League party official based in Chittagong who also serves as the editor of a local Bengali daily.
The police have yet to file charges in connection with the fire. “Our investigation is still ongoing.” “We will investigate everything,” said Abul Kalam Azad, the local police chief.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his condolences to the people of Bangladesh for the loss of life in the incident.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear about the loss of precious lives in a fire in Bangladesh.” “My heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies are with the government and people of Bangladesh,” he tweeted.
‘Falling down like rain’
On Monday, dozens of 20-foot containers at the depot emitted wisps of smoke into the bright morning sky.
“Some 30 to 40 containers are still smouldering,” said Harunur Rashid, a fire department inspector. “The fire has been extinguished. However, chemicals are the main issue.”
He stated that once the flames have been extinguished, rescuers will search the area for additional victims.
The cause of the initial fire, according to Mujibur Rahman, director of BM Container Depot, is unknown.
According to fire chief Brigadier General Main Uddin, the container depot contained hydrogen peroxide, and witnesses said the entire town shook when the chemicals exploded.
“Fireballs flew into the sky,” said Mohammad Ali, 60, who owns a nearby grocery store. “Fireballs were raining down like rain.
“We were so terrified that we immediately fled our home to seek refuge,” he added. “We expected the fire to spread to our area because it is densely populated.”
Chittagong’s chief doctor, Elias Chowdhury, said doctors from multiple hospitals had been called back from vacation to help treat the hundreds of injured.
Around 90% of Bangladesh’s trade – including clothing for H&M, Walmart, and others – passes through the Chittagong port at the top of the Bay of Bengal.
According to Rakibul Alam Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the fire destroyed approximately 110 million dollars in garments.
“It’s a tremendous loss for the industry,” he said.
