At least 10 vehicles were vandalised and the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was blocked for around two hours when a man, who had suffered burn injures in a gas fire in Gazipur, died at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, yesterday.
Anwar Hossain, 38, the son of Ali Majhi of Moura village in Dhaka's Dohar upazila, died in the burns unit of the hospital at 5:30am, said Mawna Highway police station's sub-inspector Saiful Islam.
The fire occurred earlier on Thursday evening when a gas supply line leaked during the Dhaka-Mymensingh road expansion work at the upazila's Gargarhia Masterbarhi.
The fire spread, burning down 80 shops, two houses and a tin-shed mosque at the hawkers' market. Five people including Hossain were also injured. Of them, three were admitted to the hospital with critical injuries.
As Hossain died yesterday morning, this news soon spread through the upazila and locals blocked the Dhaka-Mymensigngh Highway and vandalised at least 10 vehicles at 7am.
They lifted their blockade at 9am only after police and administrative officials assured them that all the fire victims would be compensated, including the injured, for their losses. Firemen initially estimated the losses at Tk20 lakh.
Sripur Upazila Nirbahi officer Aziz Haider said they assured them of compensating the fire victims for their losses within three days.
Infratech Construction Company is expanding the highway on contract.
Its general manager Alok Barua said, "We will compensate the family of the deceased and those who fell victim to the gas fire. We will also bear the cost of treating the injured. In addition, we will build the mosque as locals wish."