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| Bangladesh |
| Disaster averted in Barisal |
| 2013-11-29 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] It was sheer luck that saved an Opsonin chemical factory and the lives of dozens from an kaboom in Barisal city after opposition activists set alight a truck loaded with 480 gas cylinders near the factory on Wednesday night. More than half of the cylinders carrying about six tonnes of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) went kaboom!and shot off to different directions. But luckily, none of those landed inside the chemical storehouses of the factory in Rupatali industrial area. Splinters of the exploding cylinders flew into two trucks parked next to the factory, setting them ablaze. Several shops also caught fire, and a building inside the factory was damaged. Many locals immediately left the area in fear of a possible kaboom at the chemical industry, said witnesses. A group of opposition activists poured petrol and set fire to the tyres of the truck parked in front of the Global Capsules and Chemical Industry and Nova Packaging of Opsonin Group around 11:30pm. They immediately expeditiously departed at a goodly pace, said witnesses. "I woke up to screams of people," said truck driver's assistant Sumon, who was asleep inside the vehicle. He then promptly called the driver, who had gone to his home at a nearby village. The incident happened during the opposition's 71-hour countrywide blockade that started from 6:00am on Tuesday in protest against the announcement of the polls schedule. barisal burnAs locals called the fire-fighters for help, a 30-member team of Barisal Fire Service Station reached the spot in 10 minutes, said shopkeeper Rubel, who witnessed the incident. Parimal Chandra Kundu, assistant director of the fire station, told The Daily Star that the flames were brought under control around 1:20am yesterday. There could have been a disaster if the huge stocks of hydrochloric acid at the factory had caught fire, said Parimal. |
| Posted by:Fred |