At least 25 people have died in the giant fire that remains out of control at a container storage facility in Sitakunta, in southeastern Bangladesh, according to the latest death toll released by a health official.
"Twenty-five people are dead due to the fire, including five firefighters. The toll is likely to get even heavier," as many of the injured are in serious condition, while "the fire is not yet fully under control," the official, Hassan Shahriar, told Agence France-Presse.
The fire broke out at 21:30 (local time; 18:30 Cyprus time) yesterday, Saturday, at a private container storage facility about 40 kilometres from the major port of Chittagong.
According to the fire department, while hundreds of people made efforts to put out the fire, about an hour after it broke out, several containers containing chemical products exploded, causing dozens of casualties among the intervention forces.
The force of the explosions was such that buildings miles away were shaken.
[/P][BR][BR]The disaster also caused at least 170 injuries and among the victims were 40 firefighters and 10 police officers, according to the police chief in Chittagong district, Anwar Hossain.
Bangladeshi media reported earlier that the injured may number as many as 300.
Many of the containers contained clothes, worth several million dollars, which were to be exported to retail chains in western countries, also noted Mominur Rahman, the Chittagong district chief.
Source: CNA
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