Narayanganj: At least eight workers sustained burn injuries in a boiler explosion at the Akij Cement Factory located in the Ekrampur area of Bandar upazila on Saturday evening.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the injured workers have been identified as Hannan, Manjur, Habib, Rakibul, Khorshed, Tarek, and Ferdous, while the identity of one victim remains unknown. The explosion took place at approximately 5:15 pm in the factory’s boiler room. Following the incident, the factory’s internal fire safety system managed to control the fire.

The injured workers were subsequently admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for treatment. Golam Muktar Ashraf, Officer-in-Charge of Bandar Police Station, reported that the blast was forceful enough to shatter glass walls in several rooms of the factory.

“In the incident, eight workers who were working in the boiler room sustained minor burns and were injured by shattered glass,” stated the OC. Sanjay Khan, the in-charge of Bandar Fire Service, explained that the explosion occurred when a boiler of a heat exchange machine burst in the poly fiber unit of the factory, where cement bags are produced.

“We are investigating the cause of the explosion,” he added. Following the blast, local residents gathered outside the factory gate, but entry was restricted by the factory authorities.

Resident Surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery confirmed at around 10 pm that eight injured workers from the Akij Cement Factory had been brought to the emergency department. “The extent of their burn injuries is yet to be determined,” he commented.