Factory Blast Tragedy: Gas-Light Plant Explosion Kills Six in Keraniganj
Six workers have died in a devastating explosion and fire at a gas-light manufacturing factory in the Kadamtali area of Aganagar Union in South Keraniganj of the capital. Two more workers with burn injuries have been admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. On the night of Saturday, April 4, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain visited the hospital to inquire about the condition of the injured.
Earlier, at around 1:00 pm, a sudden fire broke out at the factory adjacent to “Dipjal Goli” in Kadamtali. Upon receiving the news, seven units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control after two and a half hours of effort. The fire was completely extinguished at 4:44 pm. Subsequently, the bodies of six workers were recovered from inside the factory. The bodies were so severely burned that it was not immediately possible to identify whether they were male or female.
The two injured workers—Md. Asif (14) and Mohammad Jasim (17)—have been admitted to the National Burn Institute in critical condition. Doctors said that 15 percent of Asif’s body and 22 percent of Jasim’s body have been burned. During his visit at night, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain spoke with the attending physicians and instructed them to ensure advanced treatment.
Later, at around 10:00 pm, the Labour Minister also visited the hospital and inquired about the treatment of the injured. Resident Surgeon of the Burn Institute, Dr. Shaon Bin Rahman, confirmed the information.
To stand beside the families of the injured, BNP leader Nipon Roy Chowdhury visited the hospital at around 10:30 pm. Additionally, at around 11:00 pm, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, Professor Dr. Prabhat Chandra Biswas, visited the hospital and provided necessary directives to the doctors.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence sources, the fire may have originated from a chemical reaction or gas cylinder explosion inside the gas-light manufacturing factory. A committee has been formed to investigate the incident, and it has been instructed to submit its report within the next five working days. At the same time, the Dhaka District Administration has also been directed to submit a separate report.
Meanwhile, Minister for Labour and Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury visited the affected gas-light factory. He later went to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery to check on the injured workers undergoing treatment and instructed the hospital authorities to ensure proper medical care.
The minister stated that from the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation fund, each deceased worker’s family will receive Tk 2 lakh, while injured workers will receive up to Tk 1 lakh for treatment. The government has also assured all necessary support.
DBTech/OR
