At least 32 people have been killed in a devastating fire explosion at a container depot in Sitakunda, Chittagong, Bangladesh. However, the death toll is expected to rise further. More than 150 were injured. In addition to depot workers, police and firefighters were also among the injured. They have been admitted to the hospital.
According to local sources, the explosion took place at the depot around 11 pm local time on Saturday in Bangladesh. The fire spread from there. Initially, police and firefighters said a container stored at the depot had exploded. The fire then spread to other parts of the depot. Locals claimed that several explosions took place one after the other. The blast was so intense that the windows of several nearby houses were shattered.
The army has been deployed to bring the fire under control and carry out rescue operations. Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Ashraf Uddin visited the spot on Sunday morning. He told Prothom Also that “the fire has been brought under control so that the fire does not spread further and 150-200 members of the army have been brought in for the quick rescue”. However, the source of the fire is yet to be ascertained, said the divisional commissioner. He said a nine-member committee would be formed to investigate the incident.
