Inhaling Toxic Gas: Workers fall sick again at railway workshop
Within two days of the death of a worker due to unsafe environment, at least nine more at Carriage and Wagon Workshop of Bangladesh Railway (east zone) at Pahartali in Chattogram fell sick inhaling toxic gas yesterday.
They were primarily admitted to Bangladesh Railway Hospital at CRB area in the city. Later, four of them were shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Among them, one is in critical condition, informed Assistant Sub-inspector Alauddin Talukdar at CMCH police outpost, quoting doctors.
While cutting a wagon at the carriage shop at around 11am, a fire broke out due to friction, and workers fell sick inhaling toxic gas emitting from the fire extinguisher, said workshop sources.
The workers who fell sick were not wearing any mask during the incident, sources said.
Contacted, FM Mohiuddin, divisional superintendent of the workshop, said those who had fallen sick did not take part in fire extinguishing. They were mere enthusiastic viewers in an emergency situation.
A worker died in the workshop falling off a pole of a traverser on April 13, triggering a workers' agitation demanding a safe work environment.
On March 27, some 13 other workers had fallen sick at the same workshop, after inhaling toxic gas when a fire broke out.
Workshop officials repeatedly said they provided safety gears to workers and blamed the workers for not using those properly.
Criticising the recurrence of a similar accident, officials of Fire Service and Civil Defence said utter negligence of workshop authorities was the main reason for this accident.
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