Death toll in devastating Bangladesh fire rises to 15: Official

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - At least 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a devastating fire at a container depot in Bangladesh's southern port city of Chattogram that continues to rage hours after it broke out.

"We have a record of 15 deaths till now and 91 injured are still being treated in the hospital. Of them, the condition of some is very critical. We have already shifted two to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," Brigadier General Md. Shamim Ahsan, director of the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, told Anadolu Agency.

He added that additional wounded were admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning and that casualties may have thus risen.

Among those killed, three are reportedly members of the firefighting units who rushed to the scene and took part in the rescue operations.

Dozens of firefighters and police officers were also reportedly injured during rescue operations.

The state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and other local media have reported 16 killed and 400 injured.

According to the latest update from the site, 25 firefighter and civil defense units have been working to douse the blaze since Saturday night, with the blaze continuing to burn for more than 12 hours.

The fire erupted at around 11.00 p.m. local time (1700GMT) on Saturday in the city's Sitakunda area.

Eyewitnesses and rescue workers said it broke out in one container and rapidly spread to others, causing some to explode in the depot that contains more than 1,000 containers.

Many senior officials, including the city's mayor, have visited the site and vowed to uncover what caused the fire.

The authorities said, however, that the deadly conflagration had caused huge economic losses as it gutted many containers laden with chemicals and other materials in the South Asian nation's main exporting sector of the readymade garments industry.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her condolences over the tragic incident and assured compensation to the families of the dead. She asked all concerned authorities to provide due treatment to the injured at the utmost priority.