A one-year-old child has died in a gas pipeline explosion in Old Dhaka’s Bangshal area. Three members of his family were hospitalised with critical burn injuries following the incident.
The disaster took place on the ground floor of a two-storey house adjacent to Shamshabad Jummon Community Centre around 8:15am on Thursday, said Lima Khanom, control room officer of the fire service.
The dead child has been identified as 'Moinul', bdnews24.com reports.
His father 'Jabed', 35, mother 'Sheuli', 25, and sister 'Jannat', 4, have been admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Moinul was crushed to death after a wall caved in during the explosion. Five units of the fire service later arrived at the scene and doused the fire.
The gas line was faulty, according to Bangshal Police Station OC Shahin Fakir. The accident might have happened due to excess pressure or during an attempt to light a fire, he said.
Jabed suffered 30 per cent burns in his body, Sheuli 70 per cent, and Janant 60 per cent, said Dhaka Medical Police Outpost Inspector Md Bachchu Mia, quoting doctors.
The ground floors of other buildings were also damaged in the explosion, OC Shahin said.
Jabed and his wife used to make school bags in their home, he said.