Staff Reporter

The death toll from the massive fire at a private container depot at Sitakunda in Chattogram following a blast Saturday night rose to 38, said fire service officials and police on Sunday.

Over three hundred people, including police and fire service personnel were also injured in the incident, hospital sources said.

More than 300 injured people, of whom, many received burn injuries, are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Chattogram, they added. However, the actual number of injured people could not be verified independently.

Asharf Uddin, divisional commissioner of Chattogram, told newsmen that the families of the deceased persons are being given Tk 50,000 by the DC office while Tk 20,000 to the families of the injured people.

A team of army personnel reached the depot to help bring the fire under control, he said.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Alauddin Talukder of CMCH police outpost said 32 bodies have been brought to the hospital.

"Among the deceased, six are fire service personnel," he said.

Another 15 injured personnel of the fire service are being treated at different hospitals, including CMCH, he added.
The police official said 28 bodies were kept in the hospital morgue.

The fire originated at the depot at about 9.35 am last night.

Police and fire service personnel are trying to douse the flames and rescuing people and sending them to hospitals.

BM Container Depot Ltd is a Netherlands-Bangladesh joint venture, according to the police and officials of the depot.

Faruk Hossain Sikdar, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that at least 20 units of the fire service were dispatched to the place of occurrence.

The blaze was not brought under control yet in spite of nine hours hectic efforts.

The fire service and civil defense personnel were unable to make headway despite multiple attempts were in place since this morning due to fire that is being sometimes fuelled by Hydrogen peroxide, sources said.

High government officials including CMP commissioner and divisional commissioner visited the CMCH.

Chattogram Civil Surgeon Ilias Chowdhury has requested everyone to rush to the blood bank of CMCH and donate blood.

Doctors from nearby government and private hospitals have been requested to report to CMCH to provide services to huge number of injured patients.