Five workers suffered burn injuries and four others went missing after an oil tanker exploded on the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi on Saturday (July 1).

The oil tanker Sagar Nandini-2 experienced an explosion near the Jhalakathi municipality boat ferry terminal around 2:00 pm. The tanker was carrying a crucial cargo of fuel from Chattogram to Nandini Town.

Station officer of Jhalakathi Sadar Fire Station Shafiqul Islam said that five units from the fire service in Jhalakathi and Barishal arrived at the scene immediately after receiving news of the fire.

He said: “The fire was contained to the rear of the ship where it started, thanks to the efficiency of the fire service personnel. Otherwise, if the fire had spread to the ship’s tanks from that section, a much larger disaster could have occurred. This is because the ship's tanks contained 7 lakh liters of petrol and 4 lakh liters of diesel.”

The fire service official also said fuel was currently being transferred from the ship to another vessel as the rear part of the ship was slowly sinking underwater.

The ship's cook Belal said, “They came to Jhalakathi with fuel oil from Chattogram four to five days ago. The oil was supposed to be unloaded at the Padma Depot on Saturday afternoon. At around 2 pm, there was a sudden explosion with a bang, and the rear part of the ship flew off and fell into the river.” 

After the incident, 5 people were rescued in an injured state, but 4 others could not be found, he added.

According to officials from BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority), a rescue vessel is going to the scene to salvage the ship. In addition, one of their teams is already at the scene.

Environmental experts expressed concern about an environmental disaster if the ship suddenly sinks and oil spills into the river.

However, locals from the nearby Rajapur village have said that the part of the river where the ship is located does not have the depth for it to be fully submerged. 

BDST: 0825 HRS, JULY 02, 2023
SMS