Most Ctg container depots still lack fire safety

Nine months have passed since the country witnessed a massive fire incident at the BM Container Depot in Chattogram's Sitakundu which left over half a hundred dead and many injured, yet most depots in the port city have failed to ensure fire safety measures, rescue officials said.

The observation came from the ongoing inspection, starting 24 February, of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence into the depots.

"In our visits to 10 depots last week, we found that eight did not implement fire safety measures at all despite having plans, while only one was fully complaint and the remaining one was at the last stage of the implementation," Mohammad Abdul Malek, assistant director at the Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence, told The Business Standard.

"Three teams are working to evaluate the fire safety situation at the depots [in Chattogram]. We expect the final report by next week," added Abdul Halim, deputy director of the fire service for Chattogram.

Earlier, the fire service visited all the container depots in Chattogram after the BM depot accident on 4 June last year. The authorities asked all the depots to come up with approved plans to prevent fire accidents, ensure necessary gears and strengthen fire-fighting systems. They were also urged to comply with rules and regulations related to container depot operations and follow the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

In Chattogram, there are 19 inland container depots, also known as off-docks, which handle almost 95% of export goods for shipments and 38 types of import goods. Their main function is to ease congestion at the Chattogram port and facilitate the quick clearance of cargo by allowing unloading or delivery from outside the port area.

Meanwhile in the last month, the Chattogram district administration conducted drives on three container depots and fined Tk2 lakh each for accommodating unauthorised petrol pumps inside the depots, not implementing fire safety plans and for other irregularities.

"With the fines, we have warned them of fire safety measures," Executive Magistrate for Chattogram Pratik Datta said.

"After the BM depot accident, depots are working to ensure overall safety measures. Those who are yet to have fire reservoirs will install those by this year," said Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association Secretary General Ruhul Amin Sikder.

"In the meantime, the customs department, issuing letters to the 19 depots, has warned that it will take action to cancel the licence of depots if they do not follow the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code for handling hydrogen peroxide or other dangerous cargo. Hence, the depots stopped hydrogen peroxide stuffing operations, resulting in a halt in the export of chemical products by sea," he added.