11 of a family, including 4 children, burnt in gas cylinder explosion at Ashulia
The gas cylinder in the kitchen exploded when the family members were making rice cakes (pitha)
At least 11 members of a family, including four children, suffered different levels of burns in a fire that started after a gas cylinder exploded inside a flat in Dhaka's Ashulia area last night (14 February).
According to the victims and locals, the incident happened at a residential building owned by Amzad Bepari in the Gomail area of Ashulia at around 9:30pm.
Locals rescued the injured and immediately took them to Ashulia Women and Children's Hospital. After receiving first aid there, they were all shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
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The victims have been identified as Surjo Banu, 55, Zahura Begum, 70, Md Monir Hossain, 43, Sohel Rana, 38, Sumon Mia, 30, Shiuli Akhtar, 25, Sharmin, 25, Samin Mahmud, 15, Mahadi, 7, Swaed, 4, and Suraha, 3.
Talking to reporters, Sohel said his brother Sumon lived in the rented flat on the first floor with his wife and children. Yesterday evening, he went to Sumon's home with his family and other relatives on the occasion of holy Shab-e-Barat.
He said the gas cylinder in the kitchen exploded when the family members were making rice cakes (pitha). The entire flat was engulfed in flames very quickly, leaving the 11 people inside the home with various degrees of burns.
Mesbah, customer care officer at the Ashulia Women and Children's Hospital, confirmed to The Business Standard that 11 burn patients including women and children had arrived at their hospital at around 10:30pm last night. They were sent to DMCH after they were given primary treatment.
