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Gallery|In Pictures

Photos: The deadly fire at Bangladesh container depot

The cause of Saturday night’s fire, which triggered a series of explosions, is yet to be determined.

Firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the fire at the BM Inland Container Depot.
Firefighters at the BM Container Depot, Sitakunda, Bangladesh. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Published On 9 Jun 20229 Jun 2022
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It took about four days to finally douse the deadly fire that burned down a part of an inland container depot in southwestern Bangladesh, killing at least 44 people, including 10 firefighters, and wounding 200 others.

The cause of Saturday night’s fire, which triggered a series of explosions, at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda, 40km (25 miles) from the southeastern port city of Chittagong, is yet to be determined.

Police on Thursday launched an investigation into eight officials from the depot on suspicion of negligence and mismanagement.

Explosive experts and police say the blaze could have been caused by a container of hydrogen peroxide stored at the depot. Fire service officials said they had not been informed that chemicals had been stored at the depot.

Of the 200 or so injured, 50 were rescue officials, police said. No one has yet been arrested for the deadly blaze, one of the worst in industrial fire-prone Bangladesh’s history.

In the last four days, family members of the victims were seen scurrying from place to place in search of traces of their loved ones among the piles of charred bodies. DNA tests were conducted to identify some dead bodies.

Mahmud Hossain Opu contributed to this report from Sitakunda, Bangladesh

A firefighter walks inside a damaged container at the depot. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
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A view of BM Inland Container Depot debris after the explosion.
The BM Container Depot after the explosion. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society members stand at the BM Inland Container Depot.
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society members inspect the damage at the BM Container Depot. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the fire at the BM Inland Container Depot.
Firefighters at the BM Container Depot. The blaze killed 10 firefighters - the highest such toll in a single incident in the country. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
A man injured in a massive fire that broke out around midnight Saturday at the BM Inland Container Depot, at Chittagong in south-eastern Bangladesh is taken for treatment after being airlifted by the army in Dhaka.
An injured man being airlifted by the military to Dhaka for treatment. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Munni showed her brother Mohammad Akhter's portrait through her mobile who was doing Facebook live and went missing after the explosion at BM Container Depot
Munni shows a photo of her brother Mohammad Akhter who went missing after the explosion at the container depot at Sitakunda near Chittagong. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
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Injured victims of BM Container Depot at Sitakunda in Chittagong are receiving treatment at a hospital in Chittagong.
Those injured by the fire receiving treatment at a hospital in Chittagong. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Covered van helper Mohammad Faruk Hossain wearing an oxygen mask
Mohammad Faruk Hossain wearing an oxygen mask after he had breathing problems in the aftermath of the deadly fire. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Nur Mohammad suffers eye injuries after the fire and explosion at BM Container Depot at Sitakunda in Chittagong.
Nur Mohammad suffered eye injuries after multiple explosions at the depot. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Containers of hydrogen peroxide, lie scattered after the explosion at the BM Inland Container Depot.
Chemical containers lie scattered at the depot. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]
Smoke rises from containers at the BM Inland Container Depot,
Smoke rises from containers at the BM Container Depot in Bangladesh. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]


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