At least six people were killed and 50 others injured as a massive fire broke out at an oxygen plant following an explosion in the Kadam Rasul area of Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila on Saturday afternoon.
The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately, said Nurul Alam, in-charge of the Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost.
Of the injured, nine are identified as Md Nur Hossain, 30, Md Arafat, 22, Motaleb, 52, Fancy, 30, Md Jasim Uddin, 45, Narayan, 60, Md Forkan Dada, 35, Shahriar, 26, and Md Zahid Hasan, 26.
The fire started at Seema Oxygen Plant around 4:30 pm after a big bang, Sitakunda Fire Service officer Md Fazle Rabbi said.
On information, Nine firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control at 5:40pm, he added.
However, the reason behind the blast and fire could not be known immediately, said the fire official.
Residents around the plant say that there was a loud explosion in the oxygen plant. The windows and doors of many houses near the plant were broken. People came out of their houses in fear.
On June 4 last year, a fire and explosion at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram claimed the lives of 51 people while more than 200 were injured and a huge quantity of import and export containers were damaged.
Meanwhile, a seven-member probe committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Rakib Hasan, has been formed to investigate the causes of the explosion, Chittagong District Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said.
While visiting the spot, Mohammad Fakhruzzaman said that the committee has been asked to submit its report within the next five working days.
He told the reporters that a control room has been opened by the district administration at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital. "The government will provide all medical expenses and medicines to the injured for free of cost."
The entire plant was damaged in the blast, locals said. Witness Muslim Uddin said the explosion was “so loud and devastating" that it shook all residential houses in the area.
"Glass in many houses was shattered. The entire area went dark," he said.
Oxygen cylinders were seen scattered in and around the plant premises.
