Legal action against depot fire culprits after probe, says IGP
Hopefully we will be able finish the whole job with utmost care: IGP Benazir
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Tuesday said legal action will be taken against those responsible for the BM Container Depot fire after receiving the probe reports.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has been directed to collect all kinds of evidence from the spot, he told reporters after visiting the container depot in Sitakunda and the injured victims at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).
Besides, two committees were formed to investigate the incident – one by the government and another by the fire service.
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CID experts were inducted in the both committees.
He said workers were injured while working at the depot and firemen and police were injured during the rescue operation.
Smoke is still billowing from some of the containers here. So, the place is not safe yet, he said. "Hopefully we will be able finish the whole job with utmost care."
The deadly fire at BM Container Depot at Sitakunda was brought under control on Tuesday morning after over 60 hours, commanding officer of the 18th Brigade of the 24th Infantry Division Lt Col Ariful Islam told journalists around 11am outside the depot.
Meanwhile at 12pm, parts of bodies were recovered from the debris, said Anisur Rahman, deputy assistant director of Agrabad Fire Station.
He said, "We are not counting the body parts as new bodies as they could be from earlier victims."
The district administration on Monday revised the death toll from Sitakund container depot fire to 41 down from the earlier confirmed figure of 50.
According to fire service sources, the container depot contained a large quantity of chemicals called "hydrogen peroxide". Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound and it acts like explosives at high temperature.
The fire and subsequent blasts at the container depot left over 200 people wounded.
Around 130 people are undergoing treatment at the burn unit of CMCH, said Anisur Rahman, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defense.
