At least two dockyard workers were killed and three others injured after a gas cylinder exploded on a vessel at a dockyard in Shikalbaha area under Karnaphuli upazila in Chittagong yesterday morning.

The deceased were identified as Md Rashed, 23 and Masum, 21, police said.

“Of them Masum's body was recovered from the Karnaphuli river as he was blown off into the river following the explosion while the body of Rashed was found inside the ship,” Sub-Inspector (SI) Abdul Matin of Karnaphuli Police Station said, adding that the other injured were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

“The incident took place around 11:30am during repair work at Desh-1 vessel inside the Ocean Dockyard of Shikalbaha,” said Assistant Commissioner (AC) Jahedul Islam of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP)'s Karnaphuli Zone.

AC Jahed said five workers were removing rust from the Desh-1 with the help of a gas cylinder when it exploded.”

“On information police went to the spot and recovered the bodies,” said AC Jahed.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Alauddin Talukdar of CMCH Police Outpost said injured Kamrul, 28, sustained burn injures from the explosion and was admitted to CMCH's Burnt and Plastic Surgery unit.

Another worker Amzad, 30, was injured when he jumped off the ship to save himself, the ASI said.