So many people have died in the fires and explosions because the BM container depot authorities did not report the presence of combustible material there. Awami League leader Mujibur Rahman Rahman, the owner of the company, has covered his body since the incident
The fire that started at 9:30 pm on Saturday did not come under control even after 24 hours In addition to the 25 units of the fire service, 250 army members are working to control the fire Hazmat team, a fire brigade’s specialized firefighting team, has been sent from Dhaka.
At least 49 people have been killed in the blaze so far Nine of them are fire service personnel At least 400 people were injured They have been admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and other hospitals in Chittagong Some of the injured have been airlifted to Dhaka More injured will be taken The environment of the hospitals has become heavy with the longing of the relatives of the injured and the dead
BM Container Depot is located on 24 acres of land at Sitakunda, 20 km from Chittagong. There were at least 600 workers at the time of the fire There were more than four thousand containers
Shahjahan Sikder, assistant director (media) of the fire service, said: “We did not find the owner of the container depot after the fire broke out. None of them told us that there were chemicals Due to lack of information, our fire service personnel died Because the technique of extinguishing the fire caused by chemicals is different It takes different types of personal protective equipment The firefighters who were in the front line died without giving any information about the chemical
He said, ‘Fire license is required to set up a container depot Depot cannot be made without it If there is any combustible substance or chemical, it should be reported to the fire service We are getting the presence of many chemicals there There are many drums of different types of chemicals We are investigating whether they have a fire license It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. “Now we are using drones to identify chemicals,” he said I’m trying to control the fire using foam. “
Chittagong Customs Commissioner Fakhrul Alam said the depot contained hydrogen peroxide for export. It has been exported from here for a long time They export it with declaration However, they were not informed whether any other chemicals were kept here “Hydrogen peroxide is not a combustible substance or an explosive,” he said. However, anything can catch fire Someone can set fire I heard that there was a container of staple fiber in the puff of hydrogen peroxide. That is why fire can spread There was no automatic explosion If that happened then there would be an explosion on the ship. “
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief of the Department of Explosives Inspector. Md. “Hydrogen peroxide is not an explosive or combustible substance,” said Abdul Hannan. It is not one of the 54 combustible substances listed As a result, it does not require our approval to import or export.
However, he said, “Any other explosives or chemicals may be there.” In the horror of fire and explosion, it seems so That needs to be investigated. “
Didarul Alam, a local MP, said he went there at night after receiving reports of explosions and fires. He went and saw that there was no owner Everyone has escaped “I saw liquid chemicals in many containers there,” he said The epicenter was reported below the ground, however; no tsunami alert was issued The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a police station. He said there were chemicals, garments products – all together There was no separate management of combustible material He said there was no such thing as fire safety
Meanwhile, Chittagong Chamber President Mahbubul Alam said, “There is no compliance of the depot in that container. It is sad. We, the traders who export, have suffered the most The BGMEA says ১০ 100 million worth of ready-made garments have been burnt.
Although the owners fled, GM Major (Retd.) Shamsul Haider Siddiqui of Chittagong Denim, another company of Smart Group, the parent company of the depot, was present at the spot. He claimed, “There was hydrogen peroxide in the depot, that’s for sure.” I don’t know if there were any other chemicals. ” He said, ‘There were about four and a half thousand containers in the depot 90 percent of them are garments products About 550 workers were working.
Asked why people on Malik’s side fled and why they were not found, he said, “They are scared, so they are not coming out in public.”
Mujibur Rahman, MD of Smart Group, owner of BM Container Depot and parent company, is the treasurer of Chittagong South District Awami League. Locals said he had sought nomination from the Awami League in the last parliamentary elections He is also the editor of the local daily Purbadesh in Chittagong He and others on the owner’s side are now on the run They have 8 industrial establishments including magazines, container depots and readymade garment factories