Baby dies in Gazipur gas fire, parents suffer burns

A fire sparked when the stove was turned on at their house, the family says

A baby has died and his parents have been burnt after a gas leak sparked a fire at a house in Gazipur.

Both parents have suffered critical injuries after the fire, which sparked around 4am on Sunday.

Shawon Bin Rahman, resident surgeon at the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, said the fire broke out due to a gas leak.

The victims Ripon, 23, Hafiza, 20, and their four-month-old baby boy Raihan were brought to the hospital around 7:30am. Raihan was declared dead on arrival.

“Ripon suffered burns on 80 percent of his body and Hafiza on 70 percent,” Rahman said.

“Their airways were also burnt, and both are in critical condition.”

Ripon’s brother, Russell Mahmud, said Ripon was originally from Tarakanda in Mymensingh and had been living in a rented house in Mirer Bazar with his wife and child. He worked at PRAN-RFL.

Citing witneses, Russell said the doors and windows of the house’s ground floor had been shut.

“When they tried to light the stove to cook, a fire broke out. I heard that gas had accumulated inside due to a leak in the line,” he said.

“Locals rescued them and brought them to the hospital. My nephew has died.”