C T Online Desk: Victims of Sitakunda depot fire and explosions may lose their eyesight in the long run, said eye specialist MA Aziz on Thursday after visiting the injured at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
‘I have visited the patients. They are suffering from different problems. In future the victims may lose their eyesight,’ Aziz told reporters after his visit.
The fire started at the BM Container Depot, some 20 kilometres north of Chattogram port, at about 9:25pm on Saturday before unauthorised hydrogen peroxide stored in some containers there exploded.
Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited, a sister concern of depot owner Smart Group of Industries, owned the hydrogen peroxide-laden containers.
Sumon Ganguli, associate professor and former chairman of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Chittagong University, told New Age that almost all the fire victims came into contact with hydrogen peroxide after explosions.
‘The victims will suffer in the long run due to hydrogen peroxide. Their cornea can be damaged in the future. They should consult with eye specialists immediately,’ he said.
‘Hydrogen peroxide has effects on the eyes. As the air of the area is still filled with hydrogen peroxide locals should wash their eyes frequently,’ he suggested.
A total of 58 fire victims were undergoing treatment at CMCH with different difficulties, said the hospital’s director Shamim Ahsan.
One patient was undergoing treatment at the ICU of the hospital while 27 were undergoing treatment at the burn unit and 11 at the surgery unit, he said.
At least 46 people were killed while more than 200 were injured in the fire and explosions at the privately-run depot.
Authorities have handed over 28 bodies to relatives while 42 people claimed that their family members remained missing after the incident and provided DNA samples to the hospital authorities till Thursday.
Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery senior physician Patha Sanker Paul said that 16 people were undergoing treatment at the hospital and among them, three remained in critical conditions.
They are at the intensive care unit of the hospital, he said.
Chattogram district administration, Chittagong Port Authority, the Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection, Chattogram Customs and Fire Service and Civil Defence authorities have formed five separate probe committees over the incident.
Badiul Alam, who is heading the probe committee formed by the district administration, told New Age that they visited the BM Container Depot on Thursday.
‘We have collected documents and photographs and also interviewed several people,’ he said.
BM Container Depot, a Netherland-Bangladesh joint venture, was set up as an inland container depot that had 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.
Chattogram south district Awami League treasurer Muzibur Rahman, also the editor of the Chattogram local daily Purbodesh, is an owner of Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited and a director of BM Container Depot.
Police on Wednesday filed a case against eight employees of BM Container Depot three days after the fire.
The owners of the BM Container Depot and Al Razi Chemical Complex Limited were spared in the case.
The eight accused in the case are BM Container Depot general manager Nazmul Akhter Khan, deputy general manager (operations) Nurul Akhter Khan, manager (admin) Khaledur Rahman, assistant administrative officer Abbas Ullah, senior executive (admin) Nasir Uddin, assistant manager Abdul Aziz, and depot shed in-charge Saiful Islam and assistant depot shed in-charge Nazrul Islam.
Police filed the case against them for negligence, causing the deaths and injuries in the fire incident and explosion.
