Four workers suffered severe burns following a furnace explosion at a rolling mill in Narayanganj's Rupganj Upazila on Wednesday night (Nov 26). The incident, which triggered widespread panic in the locality, took place at around 9:00 PM at the Premier Steel Rolling Mill located in the Ariyab area under Tarabo Municipality.
The injured workers have been identified as 32-year-old Sajib Sarkar, Rubel Ahmed, 28, Nazmul, 33, and 19-year-old Abir. Following the accident, co-workers and locals rushed them to the US-Bangla Medical College Hospital for initial treatment before swiftly transferring them to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for advanced medical care.
Providing details on their medical conditions, Sultan Mahmud, resident physician at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, stated that Sajib Sarkar sustained critical injuries with 70 percent burns on his body and remains in a very critical condition. The other victims suffered varying degrees of thermal injuries, with Rubel afflicted by 25 percent burns, Nazmul by 20 percent, and Abir by 10 percent.
While the exact cause of the blast could not be confirmed immediately, preliminary assessments suggest that the disaster may have been triggered when molten iron spilled from the furnace onto the floor. The sudden, deafening explosion sent shockwaves through the surrounding neighborhood, creating immediate panic among residents and fellow factory hands.
Confirming the incident, A A H M Salauddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rupganj Police Station, stated that law enforcement personnel were dispatched to the factory premises immediately after receiving the report. Police are currently investigating the accident, and necessary legal procedures are underway.
