A gas pipe explosion in Chattogram has claimed the lives of seven people and has left several others injured. According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, the blast was possibly caused by gas, leaked either from the pipeline or the riser inside the building.
This is not the first time an accident like this has happened due to gross negligence on the part of the building contractors. The use of substandard cylinders, pipelines and lack of monitoring leads to frequent accidents in the country.
According to Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) officials, a gas pipeline riser was installed inside the house in violation of the building code. This led to the accident. This could have been prevented had the builders taken safety into consideration during the construction.
The builders also grabbed part of the road to build the boundary wall, leaving the road to be only 20-feet wide. The master plan states that the road must be double that width, i.e, 40-feet wide.
The city corporation authorities must
take strict action against the illegally
constructed buildings
and penalize those who violate
building codes
This type of practice is common in the urban centers of the country, where buildings are constructed leaving barely any space between them. This invites all sorts of disaster, as the buildings are stacked like dominoes waiting to be destroyed.
In response to the accident, Chattogram district administration has formed a five-member probe committee which is to submit its report in seven working days.
However, there already seems to be a lack of accountability as Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) has refused to admit that a gas leak caused the explosion. The company formed a four-member committee of its own which found no leaks during its inspection and claimed that the gas riser and the pipeline were intact.
The city corporation authorities must take strict action against the illegally constructed buildings and penalize those who violate building codes. Drives should be conducted in all major cities in each and every area to prevent further tragedies from happening.