At least five people, including a woman, were killed and 10 injured in a boiler explosion in a factory in Gazipur near Dhaka yesterday.
Of the deceased, authorities could confirm the identities of three. They are: Siddiqa Jebunnessa, 40, Md Selim, 45, and Kawsar Hossain, 40. The remaining two bodies have burnt so badly that they could not identified until last night.
Injured workers including Abdul Kadir, 45, and Kamal Hossain, 42, and the five dead bodies, were first taken to the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital around 7pm.
Hospital sources said both the injured men, who have suffered more than 30% burns, are in critical condition.
Witnesses said the boiler in the factory named Smart Metal and Chemical, located in Pubail of Gazipur, exploded with a loud bang around 4pm.
Around 30 people were working in the factory which caught fire right after the explosion. Many workers came running out to save themselves.
Jebunnessa, who was an assistant teacher at the local Baraibari Government Primary School, was walking past the factory when the explosion took place, said Joydebpur fire service station officer Hasibur Rahman.
The other two dead – Selim and Kawsar – were workers at the factory.
Four firefighting units from Gazipur and Tongi later brought the factory fire under control.
Local ward councillor Bazlur Rahman said the factory melt old tires to manufacture a special kind of oil used along with pitch for carpetting roads.
“Authorities have in the past asked the factory management several times to shut it down because of the risky process of burning and melting tires. But the management paid little heed,” Bazlur said.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner (DC) SM Alam said a three member-probe committee, headed by ADC Rahenul Islam, has been formed to investigate into the incident. The committee has been asked to file a report in three days.
The DC also said that families of the deceased had been given Tk10,000 each for the carrying funeral expenses.
Owner Iman Uddin and the other management staff of the factory have been on the run since the blast took place.
District police chief Harunur Rashid a drive to arrest the factory owner is now on.