Gas cylinder blast kills 3 in Lakshmipur, 20 injured

At least three people were killed and 20 others injured from the gas cylinder blast on a bus in Sadar upazila of Lakshmipur district early Monday.

The deceased were identified as Suman Hossain, son of Batu Mia; Md Yusuf Mia and his brother Hridoy Hossain, sons of Sujamia. They were respectively from Charmonsha and Banchanagar areas of the Sadar Upazila.

Among the injured were Suman Hossain, Rocky Islam, Muhammad Fahad Hossain, Siraj Mia, Hriday Islam, Shah Khan, and Abdul Malek. Ten of the injured were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

Witnesses said that the explosion occurred at around 2:00 am at Green Life Filling Station in Muktiganj area when a Ramgati-bound bus of Meghna Paribahan was refueling. The blast left three people dead on the spot and 20 others injured.

Manager of the filling station, Al Amin said the victims were mostly CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers and the injured included the bus driver and other CNG drivers.

Ranajit Kumar, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) department in Sadar upazila, said two firefighting units were sent off to the scene after receiving the news of the blast.

They recovered three bodies and rescued the injured. The bodies were sent to Sadar Hospital. According to Ranajit Kumar, the accident occurred due to the use of a substandard gas cylinder.

Resident medical officer at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, Joynal Abedin said that the bodies were sent to the morgue for autopsy while the ten injured were sent to Dhaka for better treatment.