Sheer negligence of the owners of BM Container Depot and lax monitoring by the government authorities led to the terrible explosion at Sitakunda in Chittagong on June 4, said the investigation committee formed to probe the incident.
The probe committee submitted a 19-page report to Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Md Ashraf Uddin on Wednesday.
The committee, led by Chittagong Additional Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, also made 20 recommendations including amending several rules on depot operations, monitoring and management.
“After a drawn-out month of investigation, we found government monitoring entities as well as depot authorities negligent,” said Mizanur Rahman.
“We have also determined the origin of the fire to be hydrogen peroxide,” he said, adding: “We have interviewed a total of 24 people, including five eyewitnesses, during the month-long investigation as most of the CCTV footage was destroyed.”
He said that various samples have been analyzed in the laboratories of the CID, the Department of Environment, and Chittagong University.
“The report was written based on the findings and 20 recommendations were made to maintain the safety of the depots.”
He hoped that the risk of such a deadly blast would reduce if the recommendations made by them were implemented.
Divisional Commissioner Md Ashraf Uddin assured that they will present the findings to the highest echelons.
At least 51 people, including 10 firefighters, were killed and more than 250 injured in a fire and subsequent blasts at BM Container Depot in Sitakunda of Chittagong on June 4.
