Five members of a family have suffered burns after a leak in a gas pipe led to a build-up of gas and an explosion in Dhaka’s Dhamrai.
The incident occurred on the ground floor of a two-storey building around 5:30 am on Saturday in the Kumrail area next to the graveyard, said Sohel Rana, a senior station officer for the fire service, reports bdnews24.com.
The victims were identified as garment worker Manzurul Islam, 32, his wife Josna Begum, 25, their 1.5-year-old girl Marium, Josna’s older sister Hosna, 28, and her daughter Sadia, 18.
They have been rescued and taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute for treatment.
Nizam Sheikh, who rents a room on the second floor of the building, said he was asleep around dawn when there was a sudden blast. Smoke started pouring out from the ground floor of the building. He rushed down and found five people moaning from their injuries and a damaged bed.
They were initially taken to Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex, but doctors there advised them to be taken to Dhaka.
“We left immediately for the scene at dawn when we received the report of the fire,” said fire service official Rana. “They then called us from the scene to inform us that the fire had been put out. We later learnt that there was a leak in the pipe, which caused gas to build up, and eventually explode.”