At least 400 people injured in the blast and collapse of a building in Moghbazar have been treated across five hospitals in Dhaka.
Many of them were given first aid while the gravely wounded were kept under observation at the hospitals, bdnews24.com reports.
An explosion rocked the Wireless Gate area as an old three-storey building came crashing down around 7:30pm on Sunday.
The blast was so powerful that the shock wave smashed the glasses of nearly a dozen buildings around it while also hitting the Aarong outlet which was located beyond a flyover on the other side of the road.
Two buses were badly damaged in the incident as well.
The victims were rushed to nearby Dhaka Community Medical College and Hospital, Ad-Din Women's Medical College Hospital and Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital.
The severely injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
A walk away from the site, Dhaka Community hospital treated almost 300 victims, AZM Rahmatullah Shabuj, outdoor in charge of the hospital, said.
According to Sabuj, they treated victims who mostly had cuts in their bodies or their heads. Two of them died after being brought here. Four of the struggling patients were transferred to DMCH.
“Most of them had cuts from the glass shards. Many had wounds in their heads,” Sabuj said.
“The scenario was haunting. Our doctors treated everyone very quickly. No one is admitted now.”
Around 40-50 victims were brought to the emergency department of Ad-Din hospital near the Wireless Gate, said Prof Nahid Yasmin, the director of the hospital
One of the victims died in this hospital while the others were given first aid.
“Many arrived with burns, others with head injuries. We could not keep the severely burnt victims here. We gave first aid and transferred them by ambulances.”
As many as 10 people were treated at Holy Family hospital, four of whom were still admitted there.
Most victims arrived in this hospital with head injuries.
Two of the 17 victims were transferred to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery died, Dr Samanta Lal Sen, the Chief Coordinator of the hospital, confirmed.
“One of them died while in treatment. Three were burn patients. Two of them were kept in the ICU. Both suffered 90 per cent burns. Their condition is alarming,” he said.
DMCH emergency department physician Dr Md Alauddin confirmed a woman named “Jannat”, 23, died at 10:15pm.
“Many of the victims who came to the DMCH had head injuries. There were some patients needing orthopaedic care. They are being provided with treatment in respective wards.”
Brig Gen Md Nazmul Haque, the director of the hospital, said 44 people had arrived at the hospital.
“One of them died. Four of them have been admitted. Those still here are stable now.”