BM depot fire: 11 bodies unidentified even after 3.5 months

Even after three and a half months after the explosion at the BM container depot in Sitakunda, the identity of 11 deceased has not yet been identified.

The police say that the DNA tests do not match those of the relatives as these bodies were charred.

The bodies of 39 of the 51 dead have been identified after the accident.

Of those the last were the bodies of Md Mainuddin, 23 and Md Jewel Rana, 31, which were identified by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police on 15 September.

The two bodies were handed over to the families of the deceased from Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue that afternoon.

Earlier, 44 relatives of 24 missing persons had submitted DNA samples to the CID after the accident. Based on the DNA report, the bodies of 10 people have already been handed over to their relatives.

They are Akhtar Hossain, Abul Hashem, Abdul Monir, Babul Mia, Shakib, Russell, Mainuddin, Jewel Rana, Shahjahan and Abdus Sobahan.

Sitakunda Model police station Inspector (Investigation) Suman Vanik told The Business Standard, "Eleven bodies have not yet been identified. The reason for this, CID informed us, is that DNA detection requires fresh blood and saliva. But the bodies of many of those killed in the explosion were burnt to such an extent that these could not be obtained. That is why the DNA does not match with the relatives."

BM Container Depot Deputy General Manager Nurul Akhtar told TBS, "The families of the 39 deceased whose bodies have been identified should be compensated. However, some families could not submit the necessary documents, so compensation could not be given to them."

Meanwhile, Chittagong Customs House has sent a notice to Chittagong BM Container Depot asking why their private bonded warehouse license should not be canceled after the recent horrific explosion and fire.

After a fire broke out at the BM container depot in Keshabpur village of Sonaichari union in Sitakunda on the night of 4 June, it spread in a series of explosions. The fire that spread due to chemicals in the depot was extinguished after 86 hours by various forces.