Incidents of fires caused by gas cylinder explosions and pipeline leakages are increasing across the country, including in the capital, raising concerns among health professionals and safety experts.
Doctors say negligence, poor ventilation, and the widespread practice of cooking and living in the same room are turning such incidents into deadly disasters.
In one recent incident, four members of a family from Ashulia in Savar sustained burn injuries after a gas cylinder explosion.
They are currently undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS) at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Jewel Islam suffered burns on around 90% of his body, while his wife, Shyamoli, sustained 37% burns.
Their two children suffered burns of 18% and 15% respectively.
According to doctors, the condition of both parents remains critical.
Family members said the explosion occurred on March 15 while Shyamoli was reconnecting a gas cylinder.
The cylinder had earlier been disconnected after cooking.
Jewel, who was standing closest to the cylinder, sustained the most severe injuries, while the others were burned from a relatively safer distance.
The family lived in a single room where cooking and sleeping areas were not separated.
Relatives said Shyamoli believed disconnecting the cylinder after use would reduce gas consumption, but she was unaware that such practices could increase the risk of accidents -- an approach commonly followed in many households.
Ashikur Rahman, in-charge of the emergency department at NIBPS, said burn cases have remained high in recent months.
In addition to gas-related incidents, patients are also being admitted with burns from hot liquids, food preparation, and electrical accidents.
He added that a significant number of patients are coming from Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar, many of them from low-income families.
According to hospital data, 1,600 burn patients were treated in January 2026, 1,450 in February, and 546 patients up to March 15.
Among them, 22 patients were injured in gas cylinder-related incidents in January and February combined, while 14 such cases were recorded in the first half of March alone.
Most of these cases were severe.
Rahman said many patients reported that their rooms were closed at the time of the incident.
“When doors and windows are shut, gas accumulates inside. Even a small spark can trigger an explosion,” he said, adding that proper ventilation could significantly reduce such risks.
He also noted that when cooking and living take place in the same room, multiple family members often suffer burns in a single incident.
Earlier, on February 23, six members of a family died in Chittagong’s Halishahar after a fire caused by a gas pipeline leak.
They had suffered burns ranging from 40% to 100%.
Three children from the same family are still fighting for their lives at NIBPS, according to doctors.
In a series of similar incidents, four members of a family, including a three-year-old child, were burned in a gas leak fire in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar on the same day.
The following day, another explosion caused by a gas line leak in Daudkandi, Comilla, left four people injured, including a child -- two of whom sustained burns of over 40%.
On February 25, three members of a family were injured in a similar incident in Kachua, Chandpur.
Data shows that since the beginning of the year, nearly half of the victims admitted to NIBPS with fire-related injuries suffered burns ranging from 20% to 100%, making survival extremely difficult.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at NIBPS, said one of the key reasons behind the high fatality rate in gas-related burn cases is inhalation injury, where the airway is damaged along with external burns.
Extensive burns covering large portions of the body further increase the risk.
He added that when more than 20% of the body is burned along with inhalation injury, treatment options become significantly limited.
If burn injuries exceed 30% and the airway is affected, the risk of death increases by more than 50%, given current treatment capacities.
