Contemporary Issue
Results of Asian Press Photo 2023
Gold
Accident or Structural Massacre?
On the night of 4 June 2022, in Kadamrasul area of Sitakunda, 40 km away from the port city Chittagong, Bangladesh, a fire broke out at a Dutch-Bangladeshi joint venture container depot called "BM Container Depot”, (BM Container Depot handles most of the country’s ready-made clothes, exports to the West ) and subsequent explosion (because the depot containers contained thousands of gallons of hydrogen peroxide), were killed at least 51 people & over 200 people injured (according to Bangladeshi English language Daily Newspaper: 'The Business Standard', 'New Age' & 'Dhaka Tribune'), including 10 firefighters (according to Fire service). Many are missing, many of them are crippled & helpless, most of them are port workers, drivers, helpers, laborers & firefighters. Of the 200 or so injured 50 were rescue officials, police said. This deadly blaze, one of the worst in industrial fire-prone Bangladesh’s history. After a fire started in the loading area at around 09 pm local time, a massive explosion occurred at around 11:30 pm, triggering more explosions that spread across the depot caused by ignition of chemicals stored in the containers. The force of the explosions affected buildings several kilometers away, and some witnesses stated that the explosions caused a rain of fireballs. In the end, it took about four days to put out the blaze.
Silver
Health Screening for Pregnant Women
Dhana Kencana, Indonesian, IDN Times
Dewi Riyeni (right), a midwife at a community health centre, checks on the health of pregnant Puji Rahayu in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia (22/9/2022). Dewi's midwives routinely check and monitor the health of pregnant women, as well as provide education on health during pregnancy, birth preparation, and the postpartum period so that the maternal mortality rate decreases. This is because Indonesia is ranked third as the country with the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in ASEAN, after Myanmar and Laos in 2020, with 418 cases. The main causes are hypertension during pregnancy and labour, haemorrhage during childbirth, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The triggers include poverty, education, limited access to health and health workers, both in urban and rural areas.
Silver
Another Face of War
Mouneb Taim, Syrian
Syria is not just black or white, it is not either the Syrian regime or fighters. There are also civilians who are stuck in the middle, suffering silently the effects of this dreadful war that began 10 years ago and is still going on this very day.
Bronze
After the Chemical Explosion
Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, Bangladeshi
The day after the explosion at 'BM Container Depot' in Sitakunda; Volunteer rescue workers rescued a charred body from the blast site, the fire was still burning & there was a possibility of more explosions. A volunteer group named 'Chormonai' were seen risking their lives to carry out the rescue operation without any protection before a highly trained firefighter’s team from Dhaka reached the spot. This photo was taken on 05 June 2022, BM Container Depot in Sitakunda, 40 km away from the port city Chittagong, Bangladesh.
On the night of 4 June 2022, a fire broke out at a Dutch-Bangladeshi joint venture container depot called BM Container Depot, (BM Container Depot handles most of the country’s ready-made clothes, exports to the West ) & subsequent explosion (because the depot containers contained thousands of gallons of hydrogen peroxide), were killed at least 51 people & over 200 people injured (according to Bangladeshi English language Daily Newspaper: 'TBS', 'New Age' & 'Dhaka Tribune'), including 10 firefighters (according to Fire service). Of the 200 or so injured 50 were rescue officials, police said. This deadly blaze, one of the worst in industrial fire-prone Bangladesh’s history. It took about four days to put out the blaze.
Depot authorities say they are allowed to keep chemicals. The Chittagong office of the Department of Explosives says that after the fatal accident, they first came to know that chemicals were kept there. Fire service says no one reported the hydrogen peroxide at the depot. Reality is; hidden in the depot container was the deadly hydrogen peroxide, which the owner didn't sense the need to inform anyone, not even the firefighters.
Bronze
Santo Niño
Artist V Calupig, Filipino, Pond News Asia
Devotees carries the statue of Child Jesus during Salibanda Festival in Pakil, Laguna, Philippines on January 16, 2023.
Bronze
Moment World Cup 2022
Subrata Dey, Bangladesh, ZUMA PRESS
The photo was taken on the day of the 2022 Football World Cup final from in front of a television on a street in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The photo captures the expressions of the audience in every moment of the tense game between France and Argentina. In the picture we see the audience sitting on a road and enjoying the match together.