Official: Tongi factory did not have boiler explosion

Industries Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune he had been informed by the Chief Inspector of Boilers Abdul Mannan that till Saturday afternoon, there was no fire anywhere near the boilers in that factory. “The boiler office has inspected the scene of the fire and the chief inspector has informed me that till the afternoon there was no fire in any of the two boilers in the factory,” the secretary said. “He believes the fire came from a gas leak,” he added. The boilers were inspected last June and no defects were found at that time, he said. The Office of the Chief Inspector of Boilers is responsible for checking and certifying boilers. When the boiler is first installed the office does a mandatory inspection. However, regular follow-ups are the owner's responsibility, the secretary said. “The boiler office does not have enough manpower to do regular inspections of all boilers operating in the country,” he admitted.