The fire at Chittagong depot extinguished after 61 hours

The fire at Chittagong dry port was extinguished (Image: Al Mahmud BS/Handout via REUTERS)

Firefighters recovered two more bodies, bringing the death toll to 43 after a fire at the BM Container Depot, located about 40 kilometers from the port city of Chittagong.

“The fire is now under full control. There is no possibility of further spread of fire," said Lieutenant Colonel Ariful Islam Himel.

About 200 servicemen helped the fire brigade put out one of the biggest fires in Bangladesh's history.

Lieutenant Colonel Ariful Islam Himel said that this depot has an area of ​​more than 105,000 m², which holds more than 4,000 containers, some of which contain dangerous chemicals, so the fire took many hours to be controlled.

There were 27 containers full of chemicals in the port and an explosion at 11 p.m. on Saturday (June 4) killed several people on the spot with several hundred burned. The chemicals in the 15 containers were gone when they burned in the past three days.

Chittagong fire service deputy director Anisur Rahman said that although the containers filled with these chemicals have now been moved to safer places, the risk of further incidents remains.

Meanwhile, the Chittagong customs authority issued a mass notice on June 7, requiring all shippers to receive imported containers within a period of 30 days for goods at seaport and 21 days for goods located at the airport. Otherwise, the administration threatens to take actions in accordance with the relevant provisions of the customs act.

Meanwhile, the environment ministry said the depot had contained hydrogen peroxide chemical without permission from the competent authorities. To obtain approval from the environment department to store chemicals, a facility must obtain a permit from the fire and explosives authority.

See more:

• Container explosion in Chittagong: 49 dead and hundreds injured

Source: Phaata.com (According to ContainerNews)

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