In update.
At least 34 people were killed and 300 injured in a fire that triggered a massive chemical explosion at a container depot in Sitakunda, Bangladesh, 40 kilometers from the main port of Chittagong, according to an updated statement by authorities.
The fire started on Saturday around 9:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. in Portugal), with hundreds of firefighters rushing to the scene an hour after the start of the fire in several containers of chemical products, which exploded, according to a firefighters source.
“The death toll in the fire has risen to 34,” Elias Chowdhury, the region’s top health official, told AFP, adding that “more than 300 people” were injured and others are still missing, including journalists who covered the fire.
“There are still bodies in the areas affected by the fire. I saw eight or ten corpses”, said a worker who was saved from the disaster.
Among the injured are 40 firefighters and 10 policemen, according to Chittagong regional police chief Anwar Hossain, adding that “the death toll is expected to rise because some of the injured are in critical condition.”
The massive explosion shook buildings several kilometers away, according to eyewitness accounts.
Source: Observadora
