‘Gas fire’ burns eight in Demra home

Eight people have been burned after a gas fire in Dhaka’s Demra.

The fire broke out around 3:30am on Monday at a house owned by Sattar Miah in Konapara’s Al Amin Road. The fire service believes the cause may have been a leaking gas pipe.

Local residents brought eight victims to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital early on Monday, said hospital outpost SI Bachchu Miah.

The victims have been identified as tenant Alamgir Hossain, 45, his wife Ferdousi Begum, 25, their three children Emon, 15, Shipon, 12, and Tafin, 12, Alamgir’s nephew Tofail, 24, his wife Ratna Begum, 19, and their relative Arif, 35.

Ratna suffered burns on 46 percent of her body, Shipon on 20 percent of his body, Arif 15 percent, Alamgir 8 percent, Emon 4 percent, Tafin 4 percent, Tofail 9 percent and Ferdousi 6 percent.

Ferdousi told police that she woke up after hearing the screams of the children and saw the fire. The neighbours helped rescue them.

Though a fire service unit was dispatched to the scene, locals had already put it out by the time they arrived, said Fire Service Control Room official Ataur Rahman.