A teenager was killed and another person injured when an empty chemical drum exploded at a workshop in Ashuganj of Brahmanbaria on Friday.
The incident occurred around 11:45 am at Loknath Workshop in Lalpur Bazar of the upazila.
The deceased was identified as Raihan, 12, while the injured was workshop owner Loknath Das, 24.
Raihan was the son of Akbar Hossain of Chanpur village in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi and worked at Sultan Mia’s dockyard workshop in Lalpur Bazar.
According to locals, Loknath Das was cutting an empty chemical drum with a machine inside his workshop at noon while the mouth of the drum remained sealed.
They said flammable gas had likely accumulated inside the drum as it had remained sealed for a long time.
The drum exploded with a loud bang as soon as the cutting machine was applied.
At that time, Raihan was passing in front of the workshop and metal fragments from the drum hit him on the head.
He collapsed on the spot with severe head injuries.
Local people rushed him to Brahmanbaria General Hospital, where he died on the way.
Loknath Das was admitted to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital in a critical condition, and doctors said he sustained injuries to different parts of his body.
Ashuganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mo Safiqul Alam Chowdhury said police visited the scene after receiving information and were investigating the exact cause of the explosion.
He said legal action was being taken in connection with the incident.
Local residents demanded stricter caution and monitoring in the use of chemical drums and other hazardous materials.
