Many Killed in Fire at Bangladesh Container Depot
Street in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: smartupworld I Pixabay.
Bangladesh killed at least 49 people and injured more than 300 others, officials and local media said Sunday, as firefighters struggled to get the blaze under control.
The fire at the BM Inland Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture, broke out around midnight Saturday following explosions in a container full of chemicals. The cause of the fire could not be immediately determined. The depot is located in Chittagong, 216 kilometers (134 miles) southeast of the capital, Dhaka, AP reported.
At least five firefighters were among the dead, according to Brig. Gen. Main Uddin, director general of the Bangladesh fire service and civil defense. Another 15 firefighters were being treated for burn injuries, he added.
Multiple rounds of explosions occurred after the initial blast as the fire continued to spread, Uddin said. Explosives experts from Bangladesh’s military have been called in to assist the firefighters. The explosions shattered the windows of nearby buildings and were felt as far as 4 kilometers away, officials and local media reports said.
Firefighters were still working to bring the fire under control on Sunday.
Full story: tasnimnews.com
Tasnim News Agency
