Dhaka gas pipeline explosion burns seven

Seven people including women and a child sustained burn injuries after a gas pipeline explosion at a Mirpur-11 building in Dhaka on Wednesday night.

The injured people were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS).

Rafiqul Islam, son of the 5-storey building (Block: C, Road: 11, Mirpur-11) owner, told Prothom Alo that the building’s gas supply line had leakages for the last couple of days. The problem remained unsolved despite several repair works.

In a similar repairing on Wednesday night, a utility mechanic Sumon fixed a stove gas pipe at the ground floor. When he tried to check the repaired pipeline by lighting the stove, it exploded.

Eventually fire caught the entire floor and neighbourhoods, injuring the mechanic Sumon, tenant Renu Begum, building owner Phul Miah’s two wives -- Roushan Ara Begum and Rina Begum, Rina’s son Shafiqul Islam, neighbour Naznin and her five-year-old daughter Nowshin.

Fire Service and Civil Defence control room officer Quamrul Hassan told Prothom Alo, three units of the Mirpur brigade brought the fire under control at 11:30pm.

The injured people were rushed to the SHNIBPS. DMCH police post in-charge (inspector) Bachchu Miah confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo. He said apparently the condition of the burn victims seemed critical.