CHATTOGRAM, Sept 7: At least 13 workers of a ship breaking industry situated at Sitakunda have suffered burn injuries in an explosion during the dismantling of an old vessel on Saturday noon.
Kamal Uddin, Officer-in Charge of Sitakunda Police station told the local journalists that the blast took place in the pump room of the factory named SN Corporation in Sonaichhari shipyard during the dismantling of an old vessel around 11:30am on Saturday.
According to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) sources, at least 13 people have been admitted to the burn unit.
They suffered burns covering 10 to 90 per cent of their bodies, along with more or less damage to the respiratory system, CMCH burn unit sources said.
Among the injured, Jahangir suffered burns on 70 percent of his body, Ahmad Ullah on 90 percent, Kashem on 35 percent, Sagar on 25 percent, Al Amin and Moinul on 80 percent, Habib on 40 percent, Barkat on 50 percent, Anwar on 25 percent, and Rafique on 10 percent, the physician said. All of their full names were not available immediately.
Police and Fire Service personnel could not determine the cause of the explosion immediately.
Meanwhile, established in 1990 on 13 acres of land in Sitakunda, Chattogram, SN Corporation currently employs over 300 people and produces an average of 90,000-100,000 tonnes of scrap materials per year through dismantling vessels.
Sitakunda, one of the most densely established industrial zone of the country remains a death trap claiming lives of hundreds of workers and residents every year.
According to Chattogram district administration sources, over 300 industries mostly hazardous have been established over nearly 300 square kilometre areas of the coastal upazila of the country.
Sources said, a total of 126 ship breaking yards, over 20 LPG Plants, 3 container Depots, 6 Oxygen plants and over 150 heavy and small industries including both public and private and several chemical plants are located there.
