16 burnt in Gazipur garment explosion

At least 16 workers were burnt and six injured as an explosion rocked the compressor room of a garment factory at Kashimpur in Gazipur.

The incident took place at Cotton Club (BD) Ltd, owned by Mondol Group, on Monday around 8:30am.

All 16 burnt patients were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for treatment, said Aminul Islam, general manager of the factory.

According to the eyewitness and the fire service, some garment workers were working in the compressor room on Monday morning and at that time, another group of construction workers was building a new wall of the room.  

All of a sudden, around 8:30am, a huge explosion took place inside, leaving 22 injured, including garment workers, construction workers and the security guards.

Upon hearing the news, people from nearby and Kashimpur fire service rushed to the scene and rescued the wounded, the eye witnesses added.

The deputy director of Gazipur fire service, Abdullah Al Arefin, said a unit of fire service rushed to the spot and rescued the burnt and injured workers. However, the exact figure of injured persons is yet to be known.