At least 26 people were killed and 100 others injured when a boiler exploded at a packaging factory in Tongi on Sunday morning.
The explosion triggered a massive inferno leading to the collapse of the upper three floors of the five-storied factory building of Tampaco Foils Ltd in the BSCIC industrial area in Tongi under Gazipur district.
About 300 workers were working at the factory in the morning shift when the explosion took place.
The factory produces foil and different types of packaging materials.
Witnesses said, the fire broke out at about 6:30am. The flame later passed on two nearby buildings creating panic in the area.
The incident is the biggest factory disaster since Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013.Nineteen bodies have so far been recovered from the spot, while seven succumbed to their injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Seven of the deceased have been identified as security guards Abdul Hannan and Jahangir Hossain, packaging operator Rafiqul Islam, Shift-in-Charge Shuvas Chandra, generator operator Anisur Rahman, floor operator Idris Ali and cleaner Shankar Sarkar.
Wahiduzzaman, 40, Delwar Hossain, 35, Anwar Hossain, 25, and an unidentified woman aged about 30, died at the DMCH and the identity of three others could not be known immediately.
Superintendent of Gazipur Police Harun-ur-Rashid confirmed the number of the death toll primarily.
The casualties could rise further, the fire fighters and witnesses said.
Most of the injured people were first admitted to Tongi 50-bed Hospital, Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
A total of 30 burn victims were rushed to the DMCH and 10 others to the Kurmitola Hospital, Dr Md Parvez Mia, a resident surgeon of 50-bed Tongi Government Hospital, told journalists.
“About 35 people have also received first aid at our hospital,” he added.
Of the injured, operator Ripon Das, 28, son of Mukundo Das, hailing from Morelganj upazila under Bagerhat district, has been admitted to the DMCH with 90 per cent burns, Russel Khan, 30, with 6 per cent burns while Pran Krishna Sarkar, 40, with broken leg.
On information, 20 firefighting units from Tongi, Gazipur and Dhaka rushed to the explosion spot and tried their best to douse the flame.
“Boiler explosion at the Tampaco factory resulted in the fire,” Joydebpur Fire Station Senior Officer Mohammad Rafiquzzaman told media.
The upper three floors of the five-storied building almost damaged due to the fire, said Masud Rana Akhteruzzaman, Assistant Deputy Director of the factory.
Owner of the factory Dr. Syed Maqbul Hossain is a former Parliamentary Member elected from Sylhet-6 Constituency.
He said that he was not aware whether the boiler was faulty or not, and whether it was regularly checked or not.
Syed Maqbul Hossain also promised of helping the victims.
Meanwhile, the Gazipur district administration has formed a five-member probe body to investigate the incident. It has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.
“We have formed the probe body to look into the incident,” SM Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur told The New Nation yesterday.
Another five-member probe body has also been formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence. The committee has been asked to submit its report within ten days.
Mujibul Haque, Minister for Labour, local MP Zahid Ahsan Rasel and Shahidul Hoque, Inspector General of Police (IGP), visited the spot.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also visited the spot in the afternoon.
The families of the dead workers would get Tk 2 lakh and the injured a maximum Tk 1 lakh each as grants from the Labour Welfare fund, SM Ashrafuzzaman, Director of Labour (Joint Secretary) told reporters at the DMCH.
The families of the deceased will be given Tk 20,000 each for funeral and the injured will get Tk 10,000 each from Dhaka Divisional Commissioner.
