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Disaster averted

Our Correspondent, Barisal
It was sheer luck that saved an Opsonin chemical factory and the lives of dozens from an explosion in Barisal city after opposition activists set alight a truck loaded with 480 gas cylinders near the factory on Wednesday night.
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More than half of the cylinders carrying about six tonnes of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) exploded and shot off to different directions. But luckily, none of those landed inside the chemical storehouses of the factory in Rupatali industrial area.
Splinters of the exploding cylinders flew into two trucks parked next to the factory, setting them ablaze. Several shops also caught fire, and a building inside the factory was damaged.
Many locals immediately left the area in fear of a possible explosion at the chemical industry, said witnesses.
A group of opposition activists poured petrol and set fire to the tyres of the truck parked in
front of the Global Gapsules and Ghemical Industry and Nova Packaging of Opsonin Group around 11:30pm. They immediately fled the scene, said witnesses.
"I woke up to screams of people," said truck driver's assistant Sumon, who was asleep inside the vehicle.
He then promptly called the driver, who had goneto his home at a nearby village.
The incident happened during the opposition's 71-hour countrywide blockade that started from 6:00am on Tuesday in protest against the announcement ofthe polls schedule.
As locals called the fire-fighters for help, a 30-member team of Barisal Fire Service Station reachedthespot in 10 minutes, said shopkeeper
Rubel, who witnessed the incident.
Parimal Chandra Kundu, assistant director of the fire station, told The Daily Star that the flames were brought under control around 1:20am yesterday.
There could have been a disaster if the huge stocks of hydrochloric acid at the factory had caught fire, said Parimal.
Abdul Jalil, deputy production manager of Global Capsule and Chemical Company, said there was a huge stock of hydrochloric acid and other chem icals at the factory.
The fire-fighters estimated the losses at Tk 70 lakh.
Sardar Giasuddun, LPG dealer and contractor, said most of the cylinders worth Tk 20 lakh
were damaged either completely or partially. Those were taken to Barisal from the LPG plant of Standard Asiatic Oil Company in Chittagong.
Md Sahed, general manager of the oil company, said all the damaged cylinders had been removed from the spot.
Truck driver Jewel said he left Chittagong on November 21 and reached Rupatali industrial area via Laxmipur and Bhola on Wednesday evening amid blockade.
H e parked the truck next to two others in front the factory gate around 7:30pm, considering it a safe place.
"Then I went to my house at Doarika village for dinner, leaving my assistant Sumon at the