Water and leaves of surrounding areas turned yellow under the impact of ammonia gas emitted from DAP Fertiliser Company LtdThe probe report also divulged that the five essential safety tools that were needed to avert any possible gas leak had been out of commission for a long time.
Although the authorities tried to soft-pedal on the accident claiming that it was a minor gas leak, the investigators found that the blast threw the dislodged tank 20 feet away from its position and 340 tonnes of ammonia gas emitted into the air.
The probe body also found that at present the fertiliser factory is in disarray without any transparency, accountability and inter-departmental coordination.Two officials of state-owned DAP Fertiliser Company Ltd have been made OSD (officer on special duty) as per recommendation of a probe committee formed to look into the August 22 gas leak incident.
The duo are Dilip Kumar Barua, deputy chief engineer (electric), and Noquibul Islam, general manager (technical and maintenance).
Alamgir Jalil, general manager (admin) of the factory, confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune about the move Wednesday.
“We received an official letter from the BCIC authorities regarding the action on Monday,” said Jalil.
The Chittagong district administration formed a three-member probe body to investigate the incident.
The committee headed by Chittagong Additional District Magistrate Mominur Rashid submitted the investigation report to the Chittagong deputy commissioner on August 31.Also read: Ctg toxic leak threatens to destroy aquatic lifeRevealing the findings of the report the same day, Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin told reporters that the accident could have been averted had the two accused officials of the factory discharged their responsibilities properly.
The report also mentioned that the plant was not safe for anybody if the two guilty officials still hold their present official posts.
Mesbah also said that they would write to the secretary of the Industries Ministry for taking stern punitive action against the two officials.
Water and leaves of surrounding areas turned yellow under the impact of ammonia gas emitted from DAP Fertiliser Company LtdThe probe report also divulged that the five essential safety tools that were needed to avert any possible gas leak had been out of commission for a long time.
Although the authorities tried to soft-pedal on the accident claiming that it was a minor gas leak, the investigators found that the blast threw the dislodged tank 20 feet away from its position and 340 tonnes of ammonia gas emitted into the air.
The probe body also found that at present the fertiliser factory is in disarray without any transparency, accountability and inter-departmental coordination.
Water and leaves of surrounding areas turned yellow under the impact of ammonia gas emitted from DAP Fertiliser Company LtdThe probe report also divulged that the five essential safety tools that were needed to avert any possible gas leak had been out of commission for a long time.
Although the authorities tried to soft-pedal on the accident claiming that it was a minor gas leak, the investigators found that the blast threw the dislodged tank 20 feet away from its position and 340 tonnes of ammonia gas emitted into the air.
The probe body also found that at present the fertiliser factory is in disarray without any transparency, accountability and inter-departmental coordination.