30 workers fall ill in Pabna
At least 30 contractual workers of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) fell sick, suspected to be from inhalation of a toxic chemical, at its warehouse at Tebunia village in Pabna yesterday.
Of the victims, 14 were admitted to Pabna Medical College Hospital while the rest left for home after receiving primary treatment.
Talking to this correspondent at the hospital, workers said they fell sick around 10:30am when they were processing seeds at the warehouse, some 10 kilometres off Pabna town.
“All of a sudden, I felt drowsy and collapsed on the flood unconscious,” said Md Abdus Sattar from Badalpara village.
At least 70 workers, aged between 30 and 60, had been working there when the incident occurred, he added.
The rest of the workers rushed out unhurt.
Md Abdul Halim, joint director of the BADC in Pabna, said the workers might have fallen ill after inhaling toxic insecticide. The chemical, which contains aluminium phosphate, is kept in the warehouse in packets to deter pest attacks in sacks of seeds.
Following the incident, processing of seed was stopped immediately and the sick were sent to the hospital, he noted.
Workers Islam, Nur Mollah, Keramat, Mukul, Mojnu, Alam, Milu, Didar, Amir, Sattar, Nur, Sazzad, Sudib and Abul were undergoing treatment at the hospital on the floor near the medicine ward as all its beds were occupied.
Dr Monzura Rahman, assistant director of the hospital, said they kept the patients under observation and would send any of the workers to Dhaka for better treatment, if required.
BADC official Halim said the state-owned corporation doesn't supply any safety gears such as masks and gloves to the workers, each of whom makes Tk 260 a day. “It was just an accident.”
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