Barisal was luckily spared a massive industrial disaster on Thursday, when three trucks –including one laden with 480 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders – were torched by pickets, at the gates of a chemical factory packed with a large stock of hydrochloric acid at Rupatali industrial area in the city.
Delwar Hossain, a local shopkeeper and a witness, said three trucks including one laden with the LPG cylinders were parked in front of the gates of Global Capsules and Chemical Industry and Nova Packaging of Opsonin Group on Wednesday night.
At around 11:35pm, some pickets poured petrol and set ablaze the tyres of the LPG-laden truck, Delwar added.
A 30-member team of Fire Service’s Barisal station fought the fire for over one-and-a-half hour before taming it at 1:20am on Thursday, said Parimal Chandra Kundu, assistant director of Barisal Fire Service station.
However, most of the LPG cylinders exploded and the fire rapidly spread to other vehicles parked in the adjacent area, gutted shop and trees, while the explosions also damaged structures of the chemical factory, causing damages of properties worth Tk7m, fire service officials said.
Witnesses said the local people fled the area in fear that an explosion would take place at the chemical factory.
Fire service official Parimal said if the huge stock of hydrochloric acid at the factory were to catch fire or be hit with the exploded LPG cylinders, then a deadly chemical disaster like the Bhopal tragedy could have taken place in Barisal.
Abdul Jalil, deputy production manager of Global Capsule and Chemical Company, admitted that there was a huge stock of hydrochloric acid and other chemicals at the factory.
Sardar Giasuddun, LPG dealer and carrying contractor, said most of the 480 cylinders – worth Tk2m – exploded or had been damaged by the heat.
He added that the cylinders were being carried from the LPG plant of Standard Asiatic Oil Company at Chittagong.
Abdus Salam, senior sales officer of Standard Asiatic Oil Company, acknowledged the facts and urged all not to touch or carry the remaining intact cylinders, until those were declared safe by fire service experts.
Abdul Jalil, driver of the LPG-laden truck, said the vehicle had left Chittagong for Barisal five days ago and waited near Lahar Hat ferry terminal for two days because of the blockade.
After reaching Rupatali, the vehicle parked near two other trucks in front the factory waiting for the blockade hours to end.
“Then I went to my home nearby for taking food and rest, leaving the helper Sumon at the truck; and he later informed me about the torching of the vehicle by the pickets,” the driver said.
Sumon, the helper of the truck, said he was sleeping in the vehicle when the cries of the local people awakened him. Finding the tyres of the vehicle set on fire Sumon immediately informed the driver, while the locals called the fire service.