Seven members of a family including a 10-year-old boy sustained burn injuries in an explosion, originated apparently from a gas line leakage, in the city’s Kalabagan area yesterday.
All of them are now undergoing treatment at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Md Sumon, 32, a driver by profession, suffered 30% burns; his wife Reshma Akther, 26, received 2% burns; son Rabbi, 10, 6%; mother Momtaz Begum, 60, 54%; sister Rozina, 38, 39%; nephew Ayaon, 20, 30%; and niece Bithi, 14, suffered 34% burn injuries.
Of the injured, condition of Rozina and Momtaz was stated to be critical, Partha Shankar Paul, residential surgeon at the burn institute, said.
The fire broke out with a huge explosion when Rozina went to the kitchen and lit the stove in the morning, said Sumon. Their tin-shed house is at Lake Circus of Kalabagan.
He said the next house was given a new gas connection couple of days ago. The explosion blew up the roof of the tin-shed house and damaged the wall of the nearby house.
Md Julfiqar, neighbour of Sumon, who took the injured to the hospital, said he had gone to the spot hearing a big bang and found everything scattered.
Md Iqbal, OC of Kalabagan police, could not confirm the reason behind the explosion. “Primarily we are suspecting that the gas pipe was leaked. We need more investigation to say clearly about it,” he added.
Sayed Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room, came up with the same version.