Gas explosion in Mirpur leaves 7 injured, including 3 children

Seven individuals, including three children, suffered burns following a gas explosion at a tin-shed house in Dhaka's Mirpur-11 early this morning (24 November). 

The injured have been admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.  

The victims include Abdul Khalil, 40, who sustained burns on 95% of his body, his wife Ruma Akter, 32, and their three children — Hafiz Abdullah, 13, Mohammad, 10, and Ismail, 4 — as well as their neighbours Mohammad Shahjahan, 35, and his wife Swapna Akter Parvin, 25.  

The explosion occurred around 4:30am at a residence in the C block of Mirpur-11. 

"One individual with 95% burns has a slim chance of survival. Among the others, four suffered burns exceeding 20%, and three of them have trachea burns, which makes their condition critical," said Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at the burn institute.  

Family members suspect a gas leak in the kitchen caused the explosion. 

"There was likely a leak in the pipeline. The gas accumulated overnight, and when someone lit the stove early in the morning, it caused the explosion," said a relative of the victims.  

Neighbours Shahjahan and Swapna, who sustained 6% and 14% burns respectively, were also inside the adjacent house at the time of the explosion. 

"We woke up to the sound of a blast and realised our bodies were on fire. We fled immediately," Shahjahan recounted.  

Officials and locals have reported that the same gas pipeline in front of the house had caught fire two days earlier, but the flames were extinguished without further action being taken.  

Authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion, but preliminary investigations indicate a pipeline leak.