Abu Dhabi, Dhaka (WAM)
The UAE has expressed its solidarity with the government and people of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for the victims of the fire that broke out in a container warehouse in the southeast of the country, killing dozens and injuring hundreds.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that the UAE expresses its sincere condolences and solidarity with the Bangladeshi government and the friendly people of Bangladesh, and to the families and relatives of the victims, and expresses its wishes for a speedy recovery to all the injured.
The authorities in Bangladesh have opened an investigation into a fire in a container depot in the east of the country.
At least 49 people were killed in the fire that broke out on Saturday night at the BMW Inland Container warehouse, a Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture near the port of Chattagram.
“An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the fire,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters in Dhaka. He added that investigators will also look into whether there was an act of sabotage.
He stressed that those responsible for the fire will be brought to justice.
And chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, which were in several containers inside the warehouse, which is located regarding 300 km southeast of the capital Dhaka and 20 km from the main port of Chittagong, hampered efforts to put out the fire.
Fire official Anis Rahman said Monday that his team was still trying to put out the fire with the help of the army.
He stated that the fires were brought under control in large parts of the warehouse.
It was announced that 9 firefighters were confirmed dead, and three others are still missing.
A firefighter who survived the blast, Zakir Hassan Babi, said the explosion occurred shortly following the water pressure increased from a fire truck a few meters away.
“I was shocked, I mightn’t believe what I saw and fainted,” Papy told private ATN news network. The authorities face great difficulties in identifying the victims.
State Minister for Disaster Management Inam Rahman, who went to the site, said the police had started collecting DNA samples from the families of the dead, as the bodies had been burned beyond recognition.
He said that so far only 22 people’s remains have been identified and returned to their families.
He explained that a small compensation package had been announced for the families of the victims, adding that the government would bear the costs of treating all the injured.
