Three people sustained burn injuries after a transformer exploded and sparked a fire at a building in Sreepur, Gazipur, late Wednesday night, triggering panic among shoppers and passers-by.
The injured were identified as Rabiul Islam, 25, Zakir Hossain, 32, and Yasin, 37.
They were given primary treatment at Al Hera Hospital at Maona Chowrasta before being sent to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.
The incident occurred around 11pm at Maona Chowrasta under Sreepur municipality.
Local traders said the transformer on an electric pole in front of Abdus Sahid Super Market exploded, sending sparks flying and igniting a fire that spread to parts of the seven-storey building. The building houses several small and large businesses, warehouses, flats and a branch of United Commercial Bank.
Several rooms of the building caught fire following the blast.
Two units of the Sreepur Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after about half an hour of effort.
Panic spread in nearby shopping malls and markets, which were crowded with Eid shoppers. As hundreds rushed to leave the area, several people fell and were injured in the chaos. Traffic on the Sreepur–Maona road remained halted for about an hour.
Sreepur Police Station Inspector (Operations) Sanjoy Saha said sparks from the explosion scattered and burned several people.
Sreepur Fire Service Station Officer Nurul Karim said firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control after arriving at the scene. The extent of the damage could not be immediately assessed, he added.