At least six people were killed and 30 others injured in an explosion in an oxygen plant in Kadm Rasul area under Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram district on Saturday afternoon.

One of the victims is Shamsul Alam, aged above 60, of the area. Identities of the remaining ones could not be known immediately.

Sitakuna Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahadat Hossain said that the death toll in the fire reached to six until 7:15pm

‘Rescue operation is going on ,’ said Chattogram additional superintendent of police Abu Taib Mohammad Arif and added that the death toll might increase as a number of the victims were in critical condition.

Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence deputy assistant director Abdul Hamid Mia said that the explosion occurred at about 4:30pm.

Fire services deputy assistant director Shahjahan Shikder in a press release said that nine fire fighting units were working at the place to contain the fair and rescue the victims.

The release said that the military police were also called to tackle the situation.

Deceased Shamsul Alam’s son-in-law Mohammad Salahuddin said that that parts of a cylinder hit his father-in-law while he had been reading newspaper at a tea stall about 500 metre away from the oxygen plant.

He said that Shamsul was rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.