Three more die in Rupganj steel factory blast

Three more workers succumbed to their burn injuries on Friday in an incident of boiler blast that took place inside a steel factory in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj district.

With the latest count, the death figure has reached four as one more worker died on Thursday soon after the explosion happened at the factory named Rahima Industrial Complex Ltd in Bhulta area of Rupganj at around 3:30 pm.

The blast left seven persons severely injured.

They were admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery where a victim named Shankar (40) succumbed to his wounds moments later.

The burn institute and police sources indentified the workers who died on Friday as Ilias Ali (35), Md Nion (20) and Alamgir Hossain (33).

Resident surgeon at the burn institute SM Ayub Hossain said Ilias sustained burns to 98 percent of his body while Nion got burns on 97 percent of the body and Alamgir on 95 percent.

The rest three burnt workers named Jewel (25), Rabbi (35) and Ibrahim (35) are now undergoing treatment at the institute.

Rabbi's body wounds are 98 percent while Jewel's are 95 percent and Ibrahim's 28 percent.

The bodies of Ilias, Nion and Alamgir were kept at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Ilias and Alamgir hailed from Kishoreganj district while Nion from Rajbari sadar upazila.

A police official in Bhulta police outpost said steel molding work was going under a test run at the factory, which was still under-construction, leading to the occurrence of the blast at around 3:30 pm.

The blast left the workers severely injured as pieces of heated steel hit them.

A fire service official in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj told the FE that they did not find any fire safety arrangements inside the factory; nor had the workers been equipped with any fire safety gears during the incident.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com