2 killed, 28 burnt in Dinajpur boiler blast

At least two people including a woman were killed and 28 others were burnt as a boiler of a rice mill went off in Dinajpur Sadar today.

Anjali, 40, and Ratan, age could not be known, of Raniganj village under Sadar upazila, were employee of Jamuna Automatic Rice Mill in Gopalganj area, our Dinajpur correspondent reports quoting police.

The boiler of the mill went off with a huge bang around 11.30am leaving at least 30 workers burnt on the spot, Arif, one of burnt victims, said adding, around 50 people were working inside the mill at that time.

Locals rescued them and rushed to M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital in Dinajpur. Later, ten of the injured were shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

All the 30 patients have been burnt badly, said Dr SarwarJahan, director of M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital.

Locals said there is an allegation that the boiler of the rice mill was expired. The mill staff several times told the owner to replace it.

This correspondent tried to reach Subal Ghosh for his comment, but could not.

Hamidul Alam, superintendent of police in Dinajpur, said police already learnt that there were allegations of irregularities against the mill authorities which led the disaster. “We are investigating it.”