A fire and a huge explosion at a storage depot near the city of Chittagong, Bangladesh have killed at least 30 people and injured hundreds more on Sunday, June 5 2022.

Many of the injured are reported to be in a critical condition with burns covering 60% to 90% of their bodies.

The cause of the fire is not known, but reports say chemicals were stored in some of the containers.

The depot contained millions of dollars of garments waiting to be exported to Western retailers, according to a regional government official. Bangladesh is a major supplier of clothing to the US and Europe.

Local reports say dozens of people had arrived to tackle the fire when a number of containers exploded at the site in Sitakunda. Several firefighters are among the killed and injured.

“The explosion just threw me some 10 metres from where I was standing. My hands and legs are burnt,” Lorry driver Tofael Ahmed told AFP news agency.

The explosion was so large it was heard several kilometres away and shattered the windows of nearby buildings.The fire was still burning on Sunday morning, several hours after the blast.

The army has been deployed to prevent chemicals flowing into the sea.

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