15 injured in blast at newly built LPG refuelling station in Cox’s Bazar

At least 15 people were injured in an explosion and fire at a newly-constructed LPG gas refuelling station in the Kolatoli area of Cox’s Bazar municipality on Wednesday night.

One of the injured is in critical condition.

Police said the explosion occurred around 10:00pm on Wednesday at the newly built gas refuelling station named “N Alam”. Gas started leaking at the pump from around 7:00pm.

Resident Medical Officer of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital Sabuktagin Mahmud Sohel said six of the injured are being treated at the hospital. “One critically injured patient has been sent to Dhaka, and eight others have been referred to Chattogram,” he said.

Officer-in-Charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Chhomi Uddin said the leakage continued for nearly three hours, allowing gas to spread across surrounding areas. “Nearly one kilometre of area was exposed to gas, creating panic among residents,” he said.

Local resident Shahidul Islam said the strong smell of gas made breathing difficult. “We informed the fire service.”

Around 10:00pm, a loud explosion occurred, he said.

He said the blast triggered fires at several points inside the pump and spread to nearby structures. Nearly 20,000 people live in the adjacent Adarsha Gram, Chandrima Housing and Jailkhana areas. Panic gripped the neighbouring area immediately after the explosion.

Additional District Magistrate Shahidul Alam said residents were being evacuated from the affected zone. Announcements were being made using loudspeakers asking people not to light any fire nearby. Traffic on Kolatoli Road, one of the main entry points to Cox’s Bazar town, was suspended.

As a result, passengers travelling towards Dhaka and Chattogram faced long tailbacks.

Deputy Assistant Director of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain said the explosion was caused by leaked LPG. “Efforts are underway to stop the leakage and ensure safe evacuation,” he said, adding that the fire was confined to a room inside the filling station.

Gas leakage continued until around 1:00am, and seven fire service units were working to bring the situation under control, he added.

OC Chhomi Uddin said police rushed to the scene and kept onlookers at a safe distance while coordinating with other agencies to minimise damage.

Meanwhile, angry locals alleged that despite prolonged gas leakage, no effective steps were taken at the time.

source : thedailystar