2022 Sitakunda fire
Large fire and explosions in Bangladesh / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On the night of 4 June 2022, a fire and subsequent explosions at a container depot in Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh killed at least 47 people and injured around 450 others.[1][4][2][lower-alpha 1]
Date | 4 June 2022 to 7 June 2022 |
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Time | Start of fire: ~21:00 BST (15:00 UTC)[1] First explosion: ~23:45 BST (17:45 UTC)[1] |
Location | BM Container Depot, Kadamrasul area, Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh |
Coordinates | 22.4550°N 91.7375°E / 22.4550; 91.7375 |
Type | Fire and explosions |
Deaths | ≥47[2][lower-alpha 1] |
Non-fatal injuries | ~450[2][1] |
External images | |
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A firefighter facing the fire at night[3] | |
Fighting the fire the next day[4] | |
The fire as seen from a distance[1] | |
A victim being transported to hospital[5] |
The incident occurred at BM Container Depot in the Kadamrasul area of Sitakunda Upazila.[1][6] After a fire started in the loading area at around 21:00 BST (15:00 UTC), a massive explosion occurred at around 23:45 BST (17:45 UTC), triggering more explosions that spread across the depot caused by ignition of chemicals stored in the containers.[1][7][8][9] The force of the explosions affected buildings several kilometres away, and one witness stated that the explosions caused a rain of fireballs.[10][11]
The head of Bangladesh's fire service stated that there was hydrogen peroxide in the depot which prevented the fire from being controlled.[10] The following afternoon, the fire was still burning and explosions were still being heard. The army had also joined efforts to fight the fire.[4][12][13] The fire was finally brought under control and ended on the afternoon of 7 June 2022.[14]