Battle still on to douse container depot blaze
The fire that broke out at the BM Container Depot in Chattogram's Sitakundu on Saturday night continued to blaze till Monday evening despite continuous efforts to douse it.
Ten units of the fire service and the Bangladesh Army were fighting to fully extinguish the deadly fire caused by a leakage of hydrogen peroxide, according to officials.
"We are yet to bring the massive fire under control," Faruk Hossain Sikdar, assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Chattogram station, told The Business Standard at 7pm on Monday.
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"Several containers are still burning, making the entire area foggy," he said, adding that civilians have also gathered at the spot in search of their missing loved ones.
Being run out of reserve water, firefighters used water from nearby ponds.
On Monday afternoon, the gutted depot looked like a war-torn area. Bursted plastic containers of hydrogen peroxide and debris of goods-laden containers were scattered all over the place.
Confusion over death toll
The death toll in the container depot fire was revised down to 41 from 49 on Monday afternoon. Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) Director Brigadier General Md Shamim Ahsan in a briefing said they received a total of 41 dead bodies.
"Different agencies recovered the dead bodies and might have counted twice, increasing the toll to 46. As all the bodies were brought to the CMCH, 41 dead bodies have been found finally," said Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Elias.
Of them, 32 bodies were identified, while the rest remain unidentified. As of Monday, 22 bodies were handed over to their families.
"A total of 33 people provided their samples from 8am to 2pm [on Monday] to find their dearest ones. We have noted missing information of at least 19," said Ashok Kumar, sub-inspector of police who was on duty at the DNA sample collection booth at the hospital on Monday.
Meanwhile, local people, depot authorities, and patients admitted in hospitals said the actual number might be higher than the count.
"Many of those who were on duty in the depot at the time of the incident are missing. So, we cannot count the real number of deaths," said Shamsul Haider Chowdhury, general manager of Chittagong Denim.
Petrol pump inside the depot
"BM Depot had no fire-fighting system. Moreover, it accommodated a fuel station, which was in very precarious condition. The depot was supposed to install fire hydrants but it did not do so," Fire Service official Faruk Hossain Sikdar told The Business Standard.
The probe committee will give the final report after investigation.
Fire starts from hydrogen peroxide
The Fire Service and Civil Defence blamed the hydrogen peroxide for the fire. According to them, the fire started from a leak in a container filled with combustible chemicals.
An investigation by The Business Standard found that around 850 tonnes of hydrogen peroxide produced by Al-Razi Chemical Complex, located in the Thandachhari area of Fatehabad in Hathazari, were brought to the depot on 1 and 2 June.
The chemicals were packed in 33 containers and kept in the yard without maintaining proper safety.
People responsible to be punished: Home minister
If anyone found responsible for the fire will be brought to book, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, while talking to reporters after visiting the fire victims at the CMCH on Monday.
"No crime stands beyond accountability, action against those responsible for the incident will be taken as per laws."
