The ammonia gas that had leaked after an explosion ruptured a gas tank of a Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) factory in Chittagong has decreased to tolerable limits, Fire Service has said.
Published : 23 Aug 2016, 04:42 PM
On Monday night, 300 metric tonnes of ammonia gas expelled out into the air of the port city after a 500 metric tonne gas tank at the factory exploded.
As many as 52 people had fallen sick and were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Of these, nine have been discharged after treatment until Tuesday afternoon.
The factory is administered by Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC). There are two adjacent units in the factory, named as DAP-1 and DAP-2.
The Fire Service says that the explosion had hit a tank in DAP-1. The other tanks in the units are safe, officials said.
Chittagong Fire Service Director General Ali Ahmed Khan told bdnews24.com: "A major accident has been averted. Ten Fire Service units are working. They have brought the air pollution back to tolerable level."
Earlier in the morning, BCIC Chairman Mohammad Iqbal had told journalists that the tolerable limit of ammonia in the air in the affected area was 100 PPM.
He said that there was 20 PPM ammonia around 200 metre land area at the affected site. The pungent smell has subsided and efforts are on to completely neutralise the effect, he said.
Iqbal said that they have also formed a probe committee to probe the incident alongside the district administration appointed committee.