Father and son, who sustained severe burn injuries in the fire in Chevron Bangladesh’s condensate pipeline several days ago, died on Saturday morning while under treatment at the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The devastating fire broke out on the night of 22 September after miscreants drilled a hole in the pipeline in Sreemangal, seriously injuring three members of the same family.
Bashir Mia, 50, and his son Redwan Mia, 22, succumbed to their injuries within a span of two hours, a family member confirmed.
The bodies of the deceased are now in the hospital morgue for autopsy. The family is apparently divided on carrying out the autopsy.
The third victim, Bashir’s wife Parveen Begum, 40, is now on life support with a very slim chance of survival, said her brother Mohammad Moshaddikur Rahman.
Bashir’s brother-in-law Sadikur Rahman voiced frustration, stating, “Chevron’s pipeline leak caused this tragedy. I want justice.”
He demanded that proper legal action be taken against Chevron.
Sreemangal UNO Md Islam Uddin provided the family with a donation of Tk20,000 from the Upazila Parishad to support medical costs.
He said that Chevron and Petrobangla would bear the treatment expenses.
However, Bashir’s niece Nasima Begum expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “We are only hearing promises, but so far, we have not received any financial help from them. Two people have died due to inadequate treatment, and one is still fighting for survival. We’ve had to borrow almost Tk3.04 lakh to continue the treatment.”
Yakub, Bashir’s nephew, said, “Two members of our family have died due to Chevron’s negligence. One is still in the ICU. If we have to file a case against Chevron, we will approach the authorities.
“Our demand is for justice for my late cousin and uncle. This isn’t the first time Chevron’s pipeline has leaked. It happened before, and they never repaired it. How many more lives will be lost if they continue like this?”
He added, “Chevron says they’ll cover the costs, but no amount of money will bring our loved ones back. We want justice. We will file a case against them.”
Locals and social organizations have expressed outrage at Chevron’s failure to act despite reports of leaking oil from the pipeline since the previous day. The pipeline, passing through residential areas, lacked adequate safety measures, and no warnings were issued.
So far, Chevron has not made any announcements regarding compensation or medical assistance for the victims, leading to growing calls for an investigation and legal action against the company.
The local community is demanding that Chevron take full responsibility for the incident, ensure fair compensation for the affected family, and reassess the safety protocols for pipelines passing through populated areas to prevent future disasters.
Chevron Bangladesh’s Media and Communications Manager Shaikh Jahidur Rahman stated, “We are aware of the incident and are in contact with the UNO to see what support we can provide.”
