Fire, explosion at Ctg depot: Death toll now 19

The death toll in the fire and subsequent explosions at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram has gone up to 19 while hundreds of people, including police and fire service personnel sustained burn injuries in the incident.

More than 200 injured and burnt people are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Chattogram. The divisional commissioner further said that families of the deceased are being given Tk 50,000 by the DC office. Meanwhile Tk 20,000 is being given to the families of the injured.

"We have so far recovered 14 bodies from the spot," said Farooq Siddiqui, assistant director of the fire service. Among them are four fire service personnel. So far five deceased have been identified, Md Moniruzzaman (32), Mominul Haque (24), Mohiuddin (26), Habibur Rahman (26), and Rabiul Alam (19). The fire broke out at BM Container Limited in Shitalpur area around 10pm last night (June 4), said a duty officer of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence control room at Agrabad.

On information, 25 firefighting units rushed to the spot and were trying to douse the blaze, the officer told to media. In a statement, Mujibur Rahman, director of the BM Container Depot, said it was not clear what caused the fire. "But I think the fire started from the container."