Locals are calling for the world to ‘pray for Chittagong’ following a massive fire which tore through a storage depot
Chittagong is the second largest city in Bangladesh, located on the southeastern coast of the nation.
At least 49 people are dead and hundreds more are injured following the incident, as authorities raced to extinguish the blaze.
It’s believed the fire started when a number of shipping containers at the depot exploded.
Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed, with crowds of people lining the hallways of healthcare facilities begging to be treated.
Reports suggest chemicals were being stored in some of these containers, which may have triggered the explosion.
Industrial fires are common in the country, with poor safety regulations often to blame.
The fire broke out at around 9PM local time on Saturday, with hundreds of firefighters, police and volunteers arriving on the scene to assist.
Locals say the blast was so large it was heard several kilometres away, shattering windows and shaking buildings.
