The hydrogen peroxide stored at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda turned into a cloud of toxic fumes when it caught fire on June 4, medical experts and chemists have said.
Concentrated hydrogen peroxide can cause irreversible damage to the human body when ingested or inhaled, in addition to being a combustible substance, they added.
Depending on the level of inhalation, the chemical can lead to chronic lung diseases and even kidney failure. A pulmonary oedema may occur in very severe cases, which can potentially be fatal.
It can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes, and irritate the nose and throat.
Army personnel and others are seen at BM Container Depot following a fire there, in Chittagong on Sunday, June 5, 2022 Pimple Barua/Dhaka TribuneA total 63 victims of the massive fire and explosion at BM Container Depot at Sitakunda in Chittagong suffered eye injuries during the incident, doctors have said.
Covered van driver Nurul Absar, one of the victims of the fire, has been suffering from hearing problems and chest pains since the incident. A duty doctor at the CMCH said many other victims had also complained of similar problems.
At least six of the victims have serious vision issues, ophthalmologist Prof Md Nurul Haque told media at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
He said that the six patients need to be sent to Dhaka for better treatment. “One of them may need to be sent abroad.”
Chittagong Medical College CollectedThe doctor added that several patients had burnt tracheas, and the number of patients with chest pains and breathing problems was increasing.Physicians of CMCH and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, where most victims are admitted, said it generally takes six to seven days to determine whether chemical injuries can cause long-term complications.
Dr Mohammed Atiqur Rahman, professor at the department of respiratory medicine of BSMMU, said: “Concentrated hydrogen peroxide can cause many problems. If it gets on the skin or the eyes, it can lead to blindness, bronchitis, and hearing problems that progressively gradually get worse.”
Inhalation of the chemical can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 4, which needs to be managed for life.
He said: “Those whose trachea burns will suffer as long as they live. Lung fibres will gradually get more damaged.”
Dr Mohammad Ismail Hossain, professor of chemistry at Chittagong University, said there may be major long-term effects due to the fire spreading concentrated hydrogen peroxide over the area.
“Since the fire lasted for 2-3 days, toxic smoke is thought to have spread far and wide. This can have serious complications.”
The hydrogen peroxide will eventually rain back down, contaminating the environment and posing a long-term danger to plants and animals as well as people. The level of impact will depend on the amount of chemical that was burned into the atmosphere.
