Three die in Ashulia ‘gas pipeline blast‘, police informed four days later

A couple and their 6-year-old child have died after a gas pipeline exploded in a house in Dhaka’s Ashulia.

The incident happened on the ground floor of a two-storey building, owned by Shaheed Mia, in Durgapur’s Purbachal area, said Samiul Islam, sub-inspector of Ashulia Police Station.

The disaster took place on Saturday but the police were informed about the incident by local reporters on Wednesday.

“We are trying to find out why the incident remained unreported until Wednesday,” Samiul said,

“Initial inquiry suggests the explosion occurred due to leaks in the pipeline. But further investigation is needed to confirm the matter.”

The dead have been identified as Mymensingh resident Abul Kashem, 28, his wife Fatema Begum, 22, and their child Al-Amin, who was a student of local madrasa.

Kashem and Fatema had been working at two separate apparel factories in Ashulia.

“The three were taken to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar where Al Amin died while undergoing treatment on Sunday night,” Kashem’s relative Azizul Islam said.

“Unable to meet treatment cost at Enam, we asked the doctors to refer Kashem and Fatema to Mymensigh Medical College Hospital’s burns unit.”

Kashem died on the way to Mymensingh. Later, Fatema was admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, where she died on Tuesday afternoon, Azizul added.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence officials in Savar were also not informed of the incident.

“Kashem’s family rented the flat three months ago. We heard a massive sound on Saturday morning and the building caught fire subsequently. The locals rescued them and took them to hospital,” Kashem’s neighbour Shahidul Islam said.

Landlord Shahid Mia has gone into hiding after the incident. bdnews24.com could not reach him on the phone.

The relatives of the victims went to the police station on Wednesaday to start a case over the incident.