ANIThe death toll from a fire and explosion at a shipping container depot in Bangladesh hit 25 on Sunday and was expected to rise further, a senior health official said.
"Twenty-five people have died in the fire including five firefighters. The death toll is expected to increase as the fire is still not totally under control," health department director Hasan Shahriar told AFP.
The fire broke out on Saturday at around 9.30 pm (1530 GMT) at the container storage facility in Sitakunda, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major southern port of Chittagong.
Around an hour later, hundreds of people were attempting to douse the blaze when a number of containers holding chemicals exploded, the fire brigade told reporters.
Eyewitnesses said the blast engulfed people who had been battling the fire and shook residential buildings several kilometres away.
The injured included at least 40 firefighters and 10 police officers, Chittagong regional police chief Anwar Hossain told AFP.
"Twenty-five people have died in the fire including five firefighters. The death toll is expected to increase as the fire is still not totally under control," health department director Hasan Shahriar told AFP.
The fire broke out on Saturday at around 9.30 pm (1530 GMT) at the container storage facility in Sitakunda, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major southern port of Chittagong.
Around an hour later, hundreds of people were attempting to douse the blaze when a number of containers holding chemicals exploded, the fire brigade told reporters.
Eyewitnesses said the blast engulfed people who had been battling the fire and shook residential buildings several kilometres away.
The injured included at least 40 firefighters and 10 police officers, Chittagong regional police chief Anwar Hossain told AFP.
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