Firefighters struggled for nearly two days to bring the fire at BM Container Depot in Chattogram’s Sitakunda under full control as containers filled with hydrogen peroxide made the task harder.

Thick smoke was smouldering from several containers until late afternoon on Monday as firefighters, Bangladesh Army and Navy personnel made a tireless effort to extinguish the fire.

While firefighters were spraying water to douse the fire some officials of the depot authorities were seen busy separating the containers from the rows.

The local administration revised the death figure to 41 from the previously reported 49, attributing the error to double-counting in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe.

‘We have finally counted 41 bodies,’ said Chattogram civil surgeon Elias Chowdhury, adding that a few bodies were counted both on the spot and at the hospital morgue.

Over 102 injured were still undergoing treatment at the Chattogram Medical College Hospital while dozens of others were taking treatment in other hospitals in Chattogram and Dhaka.

Families of the victims were struggling to support the injured victims, many of whom are in critical condition.

Firefighters blamed BM Container Depot authorities for not informing them of the presence of a huge quantity of hydrogen peroxide in some containers.

Customs officials confirmed New Age that at least 33 containers in the depot had hydrogen peroxide stored for a few days but no documents were provided to them about it.

‘We experienced massive explosions as water contacted hydrogen peroxide when  firefighters started dousing the fire,’ said fire service assistant director Faruk Hossain Sikder.

Faruk alleged that the depot officials didn’t provide accurate information about the containers when the fire sparked.

‘When firefighters asked depot officials present at the scene said the containers had regular items but they did not clearly say anything,’ he said.

‘There were no firefighting equipment and safety kits at the depot which made the fire longer,’ he said.

Uttam Chakma, an assistant commissioner of customs, said hydrogen peroxide stored at the depot belonged to Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited, a sister concern of Smart Group of Industries, which is also the owner of BM Container Depot.

Muzibur Rahman, the treasurer of Chattogram south district unit Awami League and editor of Chattogram-based daily Purbodesh, is the owner of Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited and BM Container Depot.

Nazmul Akter Khan, general manager of BM Container Depot, admitted the presence of hydrogen peroxide in some containers but could not explain why firefighters were not provided with the information.

‘We had chemicals in some containers, but we are not sure if our people on the spot could inform to fire service or not. They are also among the injured or dead. Once we could speak to our officials, we could tell if they could forewarn fire service officials about the presence of the chemical in some containers,’ he said.

The Department of Environment in Chattogram deputy director Md Fardoush Anwar told New Age that the depot authorities had clearance for handling food-laden and garment-laden containers but they illegally stored chemicals there.

Meanwhile, the authorities could identify only 25 bodies till Monday evening and handed over 23 of them to relatives.

Chattogram Medical College Hospital director Shamim Ahsan said the authorities were collecting DNA samples from the family members to identify the other victims.

A total of 37 persons claimed that their family members remained missing after the explosion and provided DNA samples on Monday, said Shahnewaz Khaled, special superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department Chattogram.

The authorities have formed five probe committees over the fire incident.

Chattogram deputy commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman told New Age that they formed a seven-member probe committee, headed by the deputy director (local government) of Chattogram to investigate the incident.

Chattogram port secretary Mohammad Omar Faruk told New Age that they formed a three-member committee headed by Chattogram port’s terminal manager to investigate the incident. The committee was asked to submit the report within three working days.

The Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection formed a three-member committee over the fire incident and asked for a report within three days.

Chattogram Custom authorities formed a two-member committee to investigate the incident, said custom’s joint commissioner Salahuddin Rizvi.

Fire service and civil defence formed a seven-member committee to investigate the massive fire incident.

Fire started at around 9:25pm on Saturday and it was followed by a series of blasts, which also left over 200 injured.

No case, however, was filed over the incident against BM Container Deport Authorities or any other person until Monday evening

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan visited the site and vowed to bring responsible persons to justice.

‘Whoever has committed the crime will face action according to the law,’ he said.

BM Container Depot, a Dutch-Bangladeshi joint venture, was set up as an inland container depot that has been operating since May 2011.

It is one of 19 such ICDs in Chattogram.

The chairman of the depot is Dutch businessman Bert Pronk, who also has other investments in Bangladesh, while the managing director is Mustafizur Rahman of the Smart Group of Industries.