Five injured, 4 missing after blast in oil-laden tanker

Five people were injured and four others went missing after an explosion in an oil-laden tanker in Sugandha River in Jhalakathi on Saturday afternoon.

The injured are Shakil, 35, Faridul Alam, 50, Iqbal Hossain, 27, Belayet Hossain, 35 and Mainur Islam Ridoy. They all are workers of the vessel.

Police and witnesses said an oil-laden tanker named 'Nandini-2) caught fire after an explosion occurred in it in Kheyaghat area of the district town around 2 pm.

Being informed, five teams of firefighters from Jhalakathi and Barishal went to the spot and were working to douse the blaze.

Additional Superintendent of Jhalakathi Police (Sadar Circle) Md Mahidul Islam said the tanker had nine masters and workers and of them, five were rescued and four went missing.

The cause of the fire could not be known primarily, he added.

Atiqur Rahman/SU