Father’s vigil ends as son, burnt in Gazipur gas fire, becomes 15th victim to die

His father was waiting at the national burn institute for 10 days for his recovery

For 10 days, day labourer Abdur Rahim had been waiting at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for the recovery of his 22-year-old Nadim alias Naden, a victim of the cylinder gas fire in Gazipur’s Kaliakair,

Rahim’s vigil ended as Nadim, the father of a 2-year-old boy who was identified with a single name, died on Saturday night, taking the death toll from the incident to 15.

While the death toll rose steadily, as many as 12 other victims were still fighting for their lives at the institute.

Resident physician Partha Shankar Pal said Nadim had burns on 85 percent of his body surface.

Rahim said he stayed at the hospital with the hope that his son would survive.

“My son repeatedly told me to pray for him. What can I say (brother)? My son’s entire body was burnt,” he said.

All the victims of the incident are from low-income families as curious people, including women and children from the poor Mouchak Telirchala neighbourhood crowded around the cylinder emitting gas just before Iftar on Mar 13.

A man left the kitchen cylinder on the street after failing to stop the gas from leaking.

When someone lit a stove in a nearby house, the fire engulfed them all.