Dhaka, Bangladesh (CU)_ According to the latest reports, the Bangladesh port fire accident killed at least 49 people and over 300 others have been injured as a result of a fire that has been raging in Chattogram, a port city in southern Bangladesh, for about 24 hours. According to Brig. Gen. Md. Main Uddin, director general of the fire service department, nine firemen who went to the depot to indulge in rescue operations were also killed.
Brig. Gen. Md. Shamim Ahsan, director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, explained to the media about the fire accident in the depot at the port. He said, “We have a record of 49 deaths till now and more than 300 injuries. Of them, the condition of some is very critical. We have already shifted some patients to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) while some others to capital Dhaka by the military helicopter for better treatment”.
According to local media sites, the fire accident also injured over 400 individuals. During the rescue effort, several firefighters and police officers were also hurt. As many as 25 firemen and civil defense teams have been battling the flames since Saturday night, and around 250 Bangladeshi military men also joined them in the rescue mission on Sunday. The fire broke out at about 11 pm local time (1700GMT) in the Sitakunda neighborhood of the city.
According to the eyewitnesses and emergency personnel, the fire began in one of the containers and quickly spread to the other containers at the depot, which had over 1,000 containers with goods. According to the authorities, the terrible blaze had inflicted enormous economic losses by destroying several containers containing chemicals and other products in the South Asian nation’s principal export sector of the ready-made garments industry.
Several high-ranking authorities, including the city’s mayor, paid a visit to the scene and promised to determine the origin of the fire. President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen have expressed sympathy for the victims of the fire accident. Hasina promised compensation to the families of the deceased and urged the relevant agencies to prioritize the care of the injured.
In the meantime, the neighboring countries expressed their condolences for the fatal fire accident and loss of lives in Bangladesh. Accordingly, the Pakistani government Foreign Ministry took to Twitter and said, “Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives due to fire at a container facility in Bangladesh. Profound condolences to the families of the victims, the government, and the brotherly people of Bangladesh. We pray for quick recovery of the injured”.
