An explosion at the Abul Khair Group’s Starship factory in Oxygen area of Chattogram yesterday morning resulted in injuries to at least 11 individuals. The incident, which took place around 10:50 am, occurred in a room dedicated to the manufacturing of bottles for liquefied products, as confirmed by officials from the fire service and the company.
Abdul Mannan, the assistant director of the fire service in Chattogram, reported that four firefighting units promptly responded to the scene upon receiving the notification. They successfully brought the ensuing blaze under control by noon. Prior to the fire service’s arrival, the factory management had already evacuated and sent the injured workers to nearby hospitals.
The identities of the injured individuals were not immediately disclosed. Imrul Kader Bhuiyan, the deputy general manager of Abul Khair Group, attributed the explosion to an electrical short circuit that ignited a fire. The injured individuals were promptly transferred to the group’s private hospital, where eight of them were discharged following initial treatment, while three others remain hospitalized.
Imrul Kader mentioned that various government agencies conducted inspections at the factory site. He refuted claims circulating on social media suggesting a boiler explosion, labeling them as inaccurate and misleading.
Although Imrul Kader dismissed the boiler explosion rumors, fire service official Abdul Mannan mentioned that the definitive cause of the explosion is still under investigation. While early assessments point towards a machinery-related explosion within the factory premises, a comprehensive inquiry is ongoing to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
