Shawdesh Desk:

A case was filed on Monday night accusing 16 people, including the owners, for their negligence over Sitakunda Oxygen Plant explosion on Saturday that killed seven people so far and injured at least 30 in Kadamrasul area of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram.

One of the deceased Abdul Kader’s wife Rokeya Begum filed the case with Sitakunda police station on Monday at about 11:30pm, Chattogram additional superintendent of police Abu Tayeb Mohammad Arif told New Age.

‘The case was filed against the owners and employees of Sheema Oxygen Plant on charges of their negligence which led the massive explosion,’ he said.

Abdul Kader worked for Sheema Oxygen Plant for almost 13 years.

The accused in the case are — Sheema Oxygen Plant’s managing director Mamun Uddin, 55, directors Parvez Uddin, 48, and Ashraf Uddin Bappy, 42, executive director Md Kamal Uddin, manager Abdul Alim, 45, plant operator in-charge Shamsuzzaman Sikder, 62, plant operators Khurshid Alam, 50, and Selim Jahan, 58, admin officer Golam Kibria, officers Md Samiul and Shantanu Roy and supervisors Edris Ali, Sana Ullah, Siraj Uddowla, Md Rakibul and Rajib, according to the case statement.

The massive explosion in the oxygen plant in Kadam Rasul area of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram also left at least seven persons dead and 30 others wounded.

The deceased are — Shamsul Alam, 60, of Kadamrasul area under Sitakunda upazila, Mohammad Farid, 33, of BM Gate area under Sitakunda, Ratan Lakhret, 45, of Kamalakanda area in Netrakona, Abdul Kader, 50, of Sudharam area in Noakhali and Md Salauddin, 35, of Kamalnagar area in Lakshmipur, Selim Risil, 39, of Durgapur area in Netrakona and Prabesh Lal Sharma, 55, of Bhatiyari area in Chattogram.

The Chattogram district administration formed a seven-member probe body headed by Chattogram additional district magistrate Rakib Hasan to investigate the explosion.

The committee was asked to submit a report within five working days, said Chattogram deputy commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman.

The probe committee on Sunday afternoon visited the industrial oxygen producing plant and primarily identified negligence by the operational authorities as the reason for the explosion that killed at least seven people.

On June 4, 2022, at least 51 people, including 10 firefighters, were killed and more than 200 injured in a fire and explosion at BM Container Depot at Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram, just half a kilometre from the fresh explosion site.