5 of a family burnt in gas leak blast in Dhaka’s Sutrapur

A couple and their three children have been hospitalised in critical condition after the explosion

Five members of a family have suffered burn injuries after an explosion caused by a gas leak in Dhaka’s Sutrapur.

The incident occurred in the Kagojitola area at 2am on Friday, and the injured were taken to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute at 3:30am.

They are receiving medical treatment at the facility and are currently in “critical condition”, according to Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, resident surgeon at the emergency department of the institute.

The injured have been identified as van driver Ripon, 35, his wife Mossammat Chandni, 32, and their children Md Tamim, 16, Md Rokon, 12, and Mossammat Ayesha, 1.

Shawon said, “Ripon has burns on 60 percent of his body, Chandni on 45, Tamim 42, Rokon 60, and Ayesha 63. They have burns on their windpipe as well. They are all in critical condition.”

The family hails from the Jugir Haola area of Patuakhali’s Rangabali Thana. They rent a home on the ground floor of a five-storey building.

Ripon’s uncle Zakir Hossain said that everyone was asleep at night when there was a sudden explosion and they were burnt by a fire. The fire also damaged the furniture in the house. Neighbouring tenants rescued the family and took them to the hospital.

It is believed the fire may have started from a gas leak.

Inspector Mahmud Hasan Nayeem of Sutrapur Police Station said, “The fire may have sparked when a mosquito coil or cigarette ignited accumulated gas. The burn victims are currently in the hospital.”

The damages from the fire are approximately Tk 100,000, he said.