At least 16 people have died and more than 150 are injured after a huge fire swept through a container depot in Bangladesh.

The blaze triggered multiple explosions when it broke out on Saturday night at a container facility in the southeastern town of Sitakunda, which is around 25 miles from Chittagong, a port city.

The blasts shook the neighbourhood, shattering the windows of nearby houses.

Firefighters – at least one of whom has been hurt – have been struggling to get the fire under control and were still working to put it out on Sunday morning, officials said.

Some of those injured, which also includes policemen, are in a critical condition in hospital.

Chittagong civil surgeon Mohammed Elias has appealed to all local doctors to help tackle the situation, and has also called for emergency blood donations.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, but officials believe it may have originated from a container of hydrogen peroxide and spread quickly from there.

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