At least four sudden explosions, caused one after another on Friday afternoon, created panic among Indira Road residents in Dhaka.
The explosions took place between 4pm to 4:30pm in the Indira Road area, however no casualty was reported.
Locals said slabs and manholes jumped from their position while multiple holes were created in the road after the explosions. Cracks were also seen in some places.
Officials from Fire Service and Civil Defence and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) visited the area. Workers from Titas Gas cleaned the manholes after the incident.
Locals alleged that Titas and Dhaka Wasa were notified one after another in the past one and a half years after a similar gas explosion took place in the area in March last year.
Faridur Rahman Khan, councillor of Ward 26, told Dhaka Tribune that the explosions could have resulted in massive casualties if the road were not empty at the time.
“We have notified Titas and Dhaka Wasa one after another to check the lines and take necessary measures, but all went in vain. None have ever visited the area,” he alleged.
In March 2019, a similar explosion took place at 3:30am when around 30 holes were created in the area, he said.
“Since then, we have requested the authorities several times, but none cared,” said the ward councillor.
Faridur Rahman said a letter was sent 15 days ago to the Titas office seeking their immediate intervention and the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, lawmaker of the constituency, also recommended in the letter seeking urgent intervention to avoid any casualty, but no action was taken, he alleged.
“We have provided locations where gas leaks are taking place, but Titas and Dhaka Wasa were not taking care of it,” he said.
The ward councillor also alleged that no Dhaka Wasa people ever cleaned the sewerage lines even though tenders take place every year and people get responsibility for it.
He demanded action against officials who neglected the issue and immediate cleaning up from Dhaka Wasa and Titas so that any future explosion could be avoided.
