At least ten members of a family, including two children and a pregnant woman, suffered burn injuries in a gas leak explosion at a residential building in Uttara area of the capital early Friday.
The incident occurred at a building in Sector 10 of Kamarpara in Uttara. The injured were rescued and admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
The injured were identified as Rubel, 30, his pregnant wife Sonia Akter, 25, their three-year-old daughter Roza, Sonia’s elder sister Riya, 27, Rubel’s cousin Enayet, 32, an expatriate in Dubai, Enayet’s wife Delera, 28, their son Junaid, 10, Enayet’s younger brother Habib, 30, niece Ayesha, 19 and another relative Rubel, 35.
According to locals, the explosion occurred on the second floor of a building owned by Abul Kalam beside Member Bari on Kabarstan Road in the area.
Ride-sharing driver Rubel lives there with his family. His cousin Enayet had recently returned from Dubai and was visiting the house with his family from Shibchar upazila of Madaripur.
Sajed Matabbar, a resident of the fourth floor of the same building, said he heard a loud explosion early in the morning and rushed downstairs to find parts of the ground and second floors damaged.
“All 10 people inside the apartment were burnt. They were quickly rescued and taken to the hospital,” he said.
National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery emergency department’s Resident Surgeon Dr Shawon Bin Rahman said Sonia Akter suffered burns over 100 percent of her body. Enayet sustained 45 percent burns, Riya 32 percent, Rubel (30) 32 percent, Roza 18 percent, Junaid 24 percent, Delera 14 percent, Rubel (35) 7 percent, Habib 19 percent and Ayesha 12 percent.
He said those with severe burn injuries have been shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU), while the others are currently under observation.
Fire Service control room duty officer Rozina Akter said two units were sent to the spot after receiving information about the explosion. However, the residents had already managed to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived.
She added that the explosion was initially suspected to have been caused by a gas line or geyser leakage.
AM
