Two members of a family died and three others were severely burnt in an explosion caused by gas leak in their flat in Uttara, Dhaka yesterday.
The victims were identified as Shahnewaz, 50, an employee at the US Embassy in Dhaka, his wife Sumaiya, 38, and their sons Sharleen, 15, Zarif, 9, and Zayan, 14 months.
Sharleen and Zayan succumbed to their injuries at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery yesterday evening. Shahnewaz and Sumaiya are being treated at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the burn institute. Zarif is in a normal ward.
Dr Partha Shankar Paul, resident surgeon at the burn institute, said both Shahnewaz and Sumaiya sustained 95% burn injuries, Sharleen sustained 88% burns, Zayan 74% burns, and Zarif 6% burns.
“The victims’ respiratory system was severely damaged,” he said.
Giving in to their injuries, Sharleen died around 5:05pm and Zayan died around 6:45pm.
“It is difficult for patients to surviving burns like this,” Dr Partha said. “We’re providing our best medical care to the surviving patients.”
The incident took place around 5:30am yesterday, sources said.
Armin Nishat, a cousin of Shahnewaz’s, said when the family was brought in to the DMCH, Shahnewaz told her that the entire flat caught fire when Sumaiya lit a match to light the stove in the kitchen.
Moniruzzaman Hossain, a neighbour, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I woke up in the morning hearing the loud noise of explosion. When I went out to see what the matter was, I saw heavy smoke coming out of their [the victims’] flat, then burning bodies started coming out.”
Fire fighters suspect there was a gas leak in the stove pipeline in the flat’s kitchen, said Abdul Jalil, in-charge of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters. “The stove was off when the explosion took place. We suspect gas leaked from the pipeline and accumulated in the flat over the night as all the doors and windows were closed,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
‘This could have been prevented’
“My cousin complained about the gas leak ever since he moved in to the flat,” said a grieving Nishat.
She said the family had moved in to the flat in Sector 3 of Uttara only a week ago. “He could smell the gas as soon as they moved in. He informed the flat owner, Delwar Hossain, about it, but Delwar did not do anything to repair it.”
The Dhaka Tribune attempted to contact Delwar several times for a comment, but could not reach him.
However, Saleh Uddin, the caretaker of the building, said the building did not have gas supply most of the time. “We submitted a complaint about the leak as well as the shortage of gas supply at the local Titas office.”
Ali Hossain, OC at Uttara West police station, said police were investigating the incident. “We will take necessary action as per the complaint filed by the victims’ family. We will also look into the caretaker’s claim.”
