Two members of the same family—a father and son—have died from severe burn injuries sustained in a fire caused by sabotage in Srimangal.
The incident occurred Tuesday night when miscreants punctured a crude oil pipeline operated by Chevron Bangladesh, triggering a leak that led to a deadly blaze.
The victims, identified as Basir Mia and his son Redwan Ahmed, succumbed to their injuries early Saturday morning while undergoing treatment at BIRDEM General Hospital in Dhaka.
Basir’s wife, Parvin Akhter, remains in critical condition.
Confirming the deaths, Abdul Wahid, a member of Bhunabir Union Parishad, said the bodies are expected to arrive at their village home in Shason Uttar Elam around 8pm.
The fire broke out around 9pm Tuesday after oil leaked into nearby water streams and spread toward the haor (wetlands), where villagers had gathered upon noticing floating fish.
According to a Chevron employee who spoke on condition of anonymity, the 12-inch pipeline—connecting the Bibiyana and Rashidpur gas fields—was punctured in an attempted oil theft.
Due to high pressure, the hole could not be sealed, and the perpetrators fled the scene.
Local reports indicate that a gang has been involved in crude oil theft in the area for some time.
The latest sabotage led to uncontrolled leakage, and the floating oil ignited while villagers were in the stream, severely injuring three members of the same family.
Authorities are investigating the incident, which has raised serious concerns about pipeline security and public safety in the region.
