The fatalities include fire fighters, depot workers, and residents in Bangladesh’s south western district in Chattogram.

The fire occurred at an off dock facility called BM Container Depot Ltd, a joint venture initiative of Dutch businessman Bert Pronk and Bangladeshi businessmen. The facility is located approximately 25km from the Chattogram port and held some 4,000 containers.

Firefighters were called to the container facility around 9pm on Saturday 4 June for a container fire. While they were working to extinguish the fire, at 11pm a container loaded with hydrogen peroxide exploded, killing nine firefighters and a number of other people instantly.

Bangladesh media are reporting that fire fighters had no information that containers of hydrogen peroxide were at the facility when they attended the initial incident.

WorldCargo News’ correspondent in Bangladesh reports that there were a number of containers at the depot containing hydrogen peroxide and explosions could be heard from as far as 10 miles away. Homes within a five mile radius sustained broken windows and other damage. Over 200 people sustained severe burns from the explosion and were taken to hospitals for treatment. Tragically, the death toll now stands at 41 people (after being revised down from 49), and it is feared that number will increase as many of the injured have severe burns.

Fire fighters were assisted by the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force, but the fire, fuelled by containers of textile exports, has been very difficult to contain. It was not brought under control until the evening of Monday 6 June local time, and there are still ongoing concerns about four containers with chemical cargoes that are close to containers of apparel items that are still burning.

As well as the human tragedy, the fire is also a major economic blow for Bangladesh. There are 19 privately owned container depots in Bangladesh that load the majority of its export cargoes before they are moved to the port terminals. They also handle 37 types of import goods. 

Shahidullah Azim, vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said garment factory owners are assessing the losses from hundreds of burnt containers of export cargo. BGMEA is still gathering information from its members, but fears the value of goods destroyed could be high as US$100 million. Apparel buyers have come forward in assisting the affected garment owners, with H&M saying said it will make payments to its sourcing factories whose goods were burnt in the fire.     

Shahidullah Azim added that the fire is another blow for Bangladesh’s reputation, after the Rana Plaza building collapse incident that killed over 1,100 garment workers back in 2013.