A horrific explosion took place at the BM container depot at
Sitakunda in Chittagong at 11 pm on Saturday (4 June 2022). The blast shook an
area of at least four square kilometers around the site. The window glass of nearby
houses shattered. The fire is still burning after the explosion. The fire
service is trying to put out the blaze. The death toll has risen to 49 and over
300 injured.
Until the last news, 41 people have been killed. Director of
Chittagong Medical College Hospital Brigadier General Shamim Hasan confirmed
the information. He said that so far many have gone for treatment. 60 people
are undergoing treatment. Another four were being treated at the hospital's
Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Among the dead were eight firefighters, according to
the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department.
The BM container depot caught fire last night and exploded
all night. The sound of the explosion was heard till the following day afternoon. The
fire service has not yet been able to enter the main place of the fire due to
toxic smoke.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Bangladesh Army, 250 members of the
Bangladesh Army are working in the rescue operation. An Army expert team is
working to assist in rescue operations and fire control activities. Besides,
army engineers and security teams are also engaged. The team is working to
prevent the spread of chemicals in the fire due to the explosion of chemicals.
The BM container depot at Sitakunda in Chittagong has a large
number of chemicals called 'Hydrogen Peroxide'. This information was obtained
by talking to the fire service and depot staff. Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical
compound. If it is heated, hydrogen peroxide behaves as an explosive in thermal
subtraction.
The explosion spreads the poisonous smoke of chemicals
throughout the area. People coming to the spot, including members of the fire
service, are unable to open their eyes. Most of the members' eyes turned red. Some
are watering their eyes. They are having difficulty in breathing. According to
fire service sources, 225 members of 25 units of fire service are working from nearby Chittagong,
Feni, Noakhali, and Comilla districts. The windows and doors of many of the
houses were broken. Most of the houses' televisions, refrigerators, and electric
fans have been damaged.
The director-general of the fire service, Brigadier General
Main Uddin, told reporters that no owner of the container depot had been found
yet. At this, it is hard to know what
kind of chemicals there are. It is not possible to control the fire of all
chemicals with water. That's why it takes time to control the fire.
Nurul Qayyum Khan, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland
Container Depot Association, told that such a big accident had not happened in
the 24 years since the industry started its journey. Earlier, a small fire
broke out at the depot. But in those cases, it was possible to bring the fire
under control very quickly.
The fire, heat, and smoke have directly spread over an area of
two and a half squares centering the BM container depot at Sonaichari in
Sitakunda, Chittagong. And it has a far-reaching effect on an area of 10 square
kilometers.
The explosion shook an area of at least four square
kilometers around the scene. The fire is still burning at the scene.
There is a protected forest area in the area where the impact
of the fire is spreading from the BM container depot area. It is identified as
an environmentally endangered area.
A 20-foot-long container filled with chemicals exploded at
such a high speed that a large container flew at least 300 feet away. At
the same time, the container of another chemical on the side was torn apart and
scattered in the depot yard in the form of small pieces. Looks like a post-war
situation.
An official at the BM Container Depot said on condition of
anonymity that 26 containers filled with the dangerous chemical hydrogen
peroxide had been placed in the BM container depot shed last week. All are
products made by the Smart Group. And the chemicals kept in the tin
shed were loaded in containers. Then it was shipped to the port.
A special team of 250 members of the Bangladesh Army is working
to rescue and control the fire at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda, Chittagong.
Besides, army engineers and security teams are also engaged. The team is working
to prevent the spread of chemicals in the fire due to the explosion of
chemicals.
A special team of 250
members of the Bangladesh army is working to rescue the blast at BM container depot
in Sitakunda in Chittagong and control the fire. Army engineers and security
teams are also deployed. The team is working to prevent the spread into the sea
of chemical materials damaged in the fire due to the explosion.
The death toll continues to rise as time goes on. So far 49
deaths have been reported. Among them are nine rescue workers of the fire
service. The death toll is expected to rise further. Meanwhile, fire was burning at the spot even after 20
hours on .
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