‘Had to walk over corpses to get to safety’
Last night Chattogram shook with an explosion of epic proportion at a container depot which can only be compared with the deadly Beirut Port Explosion in Lebanon back in 2020.
Large quantities of hazardous chemicals kept locked inside containers are to blame for both tragic incidents.
Saturday night's horrific fire at the BM Container Depot in Bhatiari has so far claimed the lives of 34 people while injuring over 200 others.
The situation is still developing meaning that the death toll is likely to take a significant leap in the coming hours, fear fire service and medical officials.
The Business Standard has managed to speak with some of the survivors and get an in-depth view into what had actually happened yesterday night.
"As soon as I heard the sound of the explosion, it was as if my ears exploded. When I started running, I saw only corpses under my feet. I managed to survive by going over them," said Sumon, 30, a covered van driver undergoing treatment at the Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).
Mohammad Tofail, a colleague of Sumon, said he had entered the depot at around 8pm with a consignment of goods.
"I was waiting outside my vehicle when the explosion happened. I was blown away and all I could remember was my face burning.
"Later I regained consciousness at the hospital."
Tofail sustained burn injuries on his face and several other parts of his body.
Meanwhile, several first responders got wounded while trying to bring the fire under control.
According to sources, at least 14 firefighters and nine police officials are currently undergoing treatment at different local hospitals.
They were close to the fire before huge explosions reportedly shattered the windows of several buildings nearby and were felt from areas as far as 4km away.
Hundreds injured in the massive depot fire in Sitakunda area have been sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and other hospitals in the port city, causing a crisis for medicine and ICU facilities in the city.
More than 200 people have been admitted to CMCH, Parkview Hospital, and Combined Military Hospital. Some 30 of them are in critical condition.
