Locals still reeling from the shock

Just 250 yards from BM Container Depot, Abul Kalam, who's in his 60s, lives with his kids and grandchildren in Sitakunda's Keshabpur area, locally known as Mollapara.

After the explosion on Saturday night, the whole house was shaken to the core.

One of the ceiling-fans fell off and the television was badly damaged. Since then, the whole family hasn't been able to stop panicking.

It's not just this family. Inhabitants of area are still reeling from the deadly blast. The houses there now carry marks of the deadly incident.

Locals are so concerned for their safety that many have decided to move to a different place.

"My little grandson has been shocked and frightened ever since the incident. We're very concerned. I'm sending him to our village," Kalam told The Daily Star.

"You've probably never felt the shock we did during the incident," he said.

Belal Uddin (40), who runs an eatery shop near the depot, said, "On Saturday, I was right there, sitting at my shop, watching labourers and firefighters frantically trying to douse the fire."

"Suddenly, the blast rocked the whole area, shattering windows panes and destroying tin-shed houses," he recounted.

"After the incident, we left the area and took shelter at a relative's home. Around 60 percent of locals are not here anymore. They fear a similar incident might occur," he said.

This correspondent visited several spots in Mollapara and witnessed the aftermath. Shutters of shops have been deformed and window panes remain shattered. The shock-wave was so strong that even balcony grilles fell off.

Places where labourers used to live are now padlocked. Neighbours said the workers left the spot after the blast.

Maruf Hossain, a resident, told The Daily Star, "Besides my room, several staffers of the depot used to live. After the incident, they left the place and have not returned."

Md Alamgir Hossain, another resident, said, "The air was full of chemicals that night. After the blast, uncles here, using the mosque's loudspeakers, told us to leave the area to save our lives."