At least nine people were injured yesterday evening when fire broke out at Jamuna Oil Company installations at Chittagong oil refinery situated on the bank of Karnafuli River. The welding work of its oil tankers were going on and fire broke out from an accident around 6:00 pm. Nine staffs of Jamuna Oil Company were injured when they were trying to extinguish fire.
They were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and they are under treatment in burn unit with critical condition. This incident created panic in that area and people fled from there fearing explosion. Firemen managed to put out fire after half an hour and saved more casualties. Cost of damage is about three hundred thousand taka.
Bangladesh depends on imported petroleum oil for irrigation, transportation and even for generating electricity. Oil is imported through Chittagong port and this is why oil refinery is located there, Eastern refinery was established during Pakistan period before the emergence of independent Bangladesh.
