Six workers died one by one in a steel mill explosion at Rahima Industrial Complex Limited in Rupganj, Narayanganj. Another worker is still suffering in a hospital bed with burn injuries.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments said the steel factory did not have safety equipment.
The fire service claimed that the explosion occurred due to excess temperature in the boiler.
Around 4pm on May 4, an explosion occurred in the factory in Bhulta area of Rupganj. Seven factory workers were burnt. They were rescued and admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in the capital.
Claiming that the explosion occurred due to excessive temperature, Alamgir Hossain, deputy assistant director of Zone-2 of Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, said: “We had not been informed by the organization after this incident. We went there after asking the people around.”
“We did not find any of the owner and victim workers at the scene. Later, we found out that there was an explosion. It was a new institution. They sometimes run experiments. Since it was a new establishment, the security equipment was not there. However, we are investigating further,” he added.
Rajeev Chandra Das, deputy inspector general of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Narayanganj Office, said that the company has a license even though it is new.
He said: “The establishment has been started with clearance from us. They got the license earlier this year. However, last March our team noticed several violations. We visited and found that there was a notice of violation. In this regard, our team informed that, in the future, legal action was supposed to be taken according to the issues of the notice which have been observed by visiting the institution. This accident happened during this time.”
Regarding the security equipment of the institution, he said: “We visited the institution. The organization's security equipment issues could not be properly demonstrated. Even when our team visited earlier, they failed to show up. However, it is being said from their side that they had safety equipment.”
He also said: "We met and talked with the relatives of the workers. We will certainly do whatever cooperation the workers need from our office and the government. Action will be taken against the institution as per the provisions of our law.”
The inspector of the office, Mehdi Hasan, said: “When we went to the inspection, the company could not show the clearance at first. Accordingly, we have given notice. Later, we came to know that the company has taken permission.”
Narayanganj District Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (C Circle) Abir Hossain told Bangla Tribune: “The case is under process in this incident. The work was going on in the institute on an experimental basis for a few days. The investigation is going on.”