Couple burnt after 'gas leak' sparks explosion in Dhaka's Dhamrai

They are undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka

A couple has suffered severe burns in Dhaka's Dhamrai Upazila after a leak from a gas cylinder triggered an explosion that caused the wall of their house to collapse.

The incident took place around midnight on Friday in a ground-floor room of the rented house in the Kumrail area of the Upazila, according to Zahirul Islam, station officer of Dhamrai Fire Service.

The victims are 24-year-old Asif from Tangail's Mirzapur Upazila and his 21-year-old wife Shanta, both identified by single names. They have been admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

Asif, a rickshaw driver, and Shanta, a factory worker, had rented the house from Kubbat Hossain.

A loud explosion was heard around 11:45pm in the ground-floor room of the two-storey building, according to Fire Service reports and locals. The explosion sparked a fire, and moments later, the severely burnt couple emerged from the house. Neighbours subsequently rushed in to extinguish the flames.

Zahirul said that the couple was rushed to the burn institute in Dhaka. While the house was equipped with Titas Gas connection, the couple had been using a gas cylinder. Although the cylinder itself was undamaged, the gas pipe was found to be burnt. Several rooms nearby were also damaged in the explosion.

It is believed that the explosion occurred when accumulated gas from the pipe came into contact with fire.

Describing the incident, Razzab Ali, another tenant at the building, said “I heard a loud noise and went outside to see the fire. I then put it out. A woman and a man came out of the room. Their bodies were badly burnt. They were later taken to the hospital in a rickshaw.”

Local resident Sajib Hossain recalled seeing smoke billowing from the room immediately after the explosion. "I opened the door and saw the wife coming out, her hair burnt. Someone from next door held her, and then her husband emerged, his hair and skin severely burnt.”

Sub-Inspector Shamim of Dhamrai Police Station said, “When I arrived at the scene, I saw that the house had been damaged. However, I didn’t find the burnt victims there. I learnt that Asif and his wife had been taken to the hospital.”

The explosion is initially believed to have been caused by a gas leak.