5 burnt in Jhalakathi oil tanker blast die in Dhaka

Five persons have succumbed in one day while underwent treatment being injured in an oil tanker blast on Sugandha river in Jhalakathi district.

They died of multiple burn injuries on their bodies from early in the morning to the evening on Tuesday (Nov 16) while underwent treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka.
Dr SM Ayub Hossain, Emergency Resident Surgeon of the institute, said seven patients with multiple burn injuries came at the hospital. Of them, five were admitted, while the rest two were released giving primary aid. The five injured died from 5:00am to the evening on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Ripon Sikder, 40, Mehedi Hasan, 26, Mosharraf Hossain Rony, 27, Shahid Talukder, 35 and Ashique Islam, 40.

Doctors said Mehedi Hasan died with burn injuries on 55% of his body at about 5:00am, Mosharraf Hossain Rony died at about 9:30am with burn injuries on 54% of his body, Ripon Sikder died at the same time with burn injuries on 54% of his body, Shahid Talukder died at 4:30pm with burn injuries on 70% of his body, and Ashique Islam died in the evening with burn injuries on 66% of his body.

Besides, Imam Uddin, 21 and Rubel Hossain, 30 left the institute on that day after receiving primary aid.

Relatives said Rony hailed from village Dakkhin Mondira under Chhagolnaiya upazila in Feni. Son of Siddique Ahmed, he used to work at the oil tanker.

Mehedi, son of Ahmadullah, hailed from village Betalia under Uttar Matlab Police Station in Chandpur district, while Shaid, son of Bacchu Talukder, hailed from village Maichkandi under Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj district. Ripon, son of Bacchu Sikder, hailed from village Pankhar Char under Lohagara upazila in Narain district.

Earlier on Friday morning, the oil tanker, Sagar Nandini-3, which was carrying oil for Padma Oil Company, caught fire after an explosion of the pump on the Sugandha river in Jhalakathi district. The blast left one person dead on the spot after he received multiple burn injuries. The deceased was identified as Kamrul Islam, 35.

Seven others who received multiple burn injuries first rushed to the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal city. They were later brought at Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka by ambulances.

About two lakh litres of petrol was unloaded at Padma Oil's depot in the afternoon of the previous day of explosion. It was supposed to unload another 9.23 lakh litres of diesel on Friday.