Situation at Ctg fertiliser company now out of danger
Fire service says
Though the emission of gas has not stopped completely at DAP Fertiliser Company Limited in Anwara upazila of Chittagong, the situation is now out of danger, fire service and civil defence sources said.
About 250 people fell sick after inhaling ammonia gas that leaked from a pipe at the nearby fertiliser company last night.
When the incident occurred, the amount of ammonia gas in the air was recorded at 600ppm (parts per million) whilst workers at the factory can tolerate conditions with ammonia gas up to 25ppm, said Md Jashim Uddin, deputy additional director of the fire service.
“The ammonia gas recorded in the air at 9:00am is about 20ppm and our target is to bring down the ammonia gas to 5ppm,” the official added.
Among the sick, 52 are undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. The patients are now out of danger, our Chittagong correspondent reports quoting on-duty doctor Md Farid Uddin.
Most of them came complaining of breathing problems, vomiting and burning sensation in the eyes.
Committees formed
Meanwhile, two committees have been formed to investigate the incident.
A three-member probe committee formed by Chittagong district administration headed by Mominur Rashid, additional district magistrate, will submit a report within seven working days after investigation, sources at the DC office told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) formed a 10-member committee to investigate the reason behind the accident, the damage and cost of the damage among other issues. The probe committee will submit a detailed report along with recommendations within three days, Shaheen Kamal, director (production) of BCIC said.