News

Explosion at a container terminal

Terrible tragedy hits Bangladesh

by Port News Editorial Staff

A massacre took place as a result of hydrogen peroxide leaking  from containers. 49 people died following a violent explosion that devastated a Bangladeshi container terminal on Saturday.

Among them were nine firefighters who had rushed in during the night to put out a fire whose cause remains unknown.

What is certain is that the chemical from the containers had heated up in the open air and reacted violently once it came into contact with the water used by firefighters to put out the flames.

The facility, located 40 km inland from Chittagong, apparently had about 240 tonnes of concentrated hydrogen peroxide on site.

Firefighters say there were no warning signs at the terminal about the dangerous nature of the area or indications about the precautions to be used to put out fires.

Translation by Giles Foster