Fifth Worker Dies Following Chittagong Salt Factory Blast

Mahmudul Haque (40) died on Thursday morning bringing the death toll from the July 16 cylinder explosion at the Confidence Salt Factory in Boalkhali to five.

Haque passed away around 11:00 am while undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit at Chittagong Medical College (CMC) Hospital.

Dr. Rashed-ul Islam assistant registrar of the unit confirmed that Haque had suffered 60 to 65 percent body burns and had been in critical condition for a week.

Haque, originally from Kusumpura Union in Patia Upazila leaves behind a two-year-old daughter. Relatives noted that his wife suffered a severe stroke two years ago adding further tragedy to the family's loss.

The fatal blast occurred on July 16 in the West Gomdandi area of Boalkhali, sparking a fire that left 10 workers with severe burns.

Four other workers previously succumbed to their injuries Didarul Alam (32) and Mohammad Alam, (45) on the day of the blast followed by Nur Nabi Hridoy (25) and Ujjwal Das (53) on July 19. The remaining five workers continue to receive treatment at CMC Hospital's burn unit.