Safety tools were not functional
The safety valves and four other essential instruments, which were necessary to prevent the gas tank explosion at DAP Fertiliser Company Ltd in Chittagong, had been out of operation for a long time, an investigator told The Daily Star yesterday.
Requesting anonymity, he also said they would reveal the cause of the explosion later, and they may not be able to submit the report within the stipulate three days' time. The investigator is on the 10-member probe committee of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).
READ: Gas disaster averted in Ctg
BCIC formed the team a day after a tank containing 250 tonnes of ammonia gas exploded on Monday night. There are three such tanks at the diammonium phosphate (DAP) factory, located in Anwara upazila of Chittagong, and lying around 3km north of Chittagong city.
Following the explosion, fire fighters dissolved the gas in water and averted a disaster, but the gas spread all over the area, affecting the local environment, and the toxic water ran into nearby waterbodies, killing snakes and fish.
The 10-member committee included Ali Akkas, director (technical and engineering) of BCIC, as convener and Abu Taher Bhuyian, managing director of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd (CUFL), as member secretary.
The team visited the explosion site again yesterday and talked to more workers and officials of the factory.
Member secretary Abu Taher Bhuyian said, “It is a very complicated problem, and it may take some time to give an impartial, objective, and authentic report.”
He, however, declined to comment on their findings and the reason behind the explosion.
The committee was asked to report on the reason, extent of damage, responsibility, the safety of the two other ammonia tanks, and recommendations to avoid recurrence of such an incident.
To investigate the incident, the district administration formed a three-member committee.
Its chief, Additional District Magistrate Md Mominur Rashid, said they had found fault on the part of the factory management
He also corroborated that the five safely instruments -- safety valves, pressure transmitter, condenser, vent and flare -- had not been functional at the tank.
The committee would submit its report in seven days.
Amal Kanti Barua, managing director of the DAP (diammonium phosphate) factory, said he heard after the incident that the safety instruments were not functional, but none from the operation or maintenance department informed him about it before.
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