Parents mourn 2 children as Gazipur gas fire death toll hits 11

Tawheed, 7, died on Monday evening while receiving treatment in the ICU

Another child victim of the cylinder gas fire at Gazipur’s Kaliakair has succumbed to its injuries at the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

This takes the death toll from the disaster to 11. Another 18 victims are fighting for their lives at the hospital.

Tawheed, 7, died around 6:45pm on Monday while receiving intensive care treatment, according to Professor Hossain Imam, an associate professor of the burn institute.

His younger sister, Tayeba, 4, died on Saturday evening. The loss of both their children has left their working parents devastated.

Tawheed and Tayeba's uncle, Md Rifat, shared that the children's father, Sajal Mia, works as a transport worker, while their mother, Sumaiya, is employed in a garment factory.

Rifat recounted the tragic incident on Mar 13 when Sumaiya, busy preparing Iftar at home, heard a commotion and rushed to the alley, where everyone was engulfed in flames fuelled by gas from a faulty cylinder. Both children suffered burns in the incident.

Rifat mentioned that after Tayeba's death, it was apparent Tawheed's chances of survival were slim. Nonetheless, every effort was made to save him. No words can console the grieving parents in their time of sorrow, he said.

Most of the victims and their family members were identified with single names.

Golam Rabbi, 11, Solaiman, 9, Jahirul Islam, 40, and Motaleb, 48, died between Sunday night and Monday morning. They were all admitted to the ICU.

Dozens of people suffered severe burns in the horrific fire near the Topstar Garments factory.

The defective cylinder, left in the alley and hastily covered with a wet sack, was the fire's origin. Ahead of Iftar, curious children and passersby gathered around, not knowing the danger that lurked.

Then, a nearby stove ignited, transforming the alley into a fiery trap that ensnared everyone in its vicinity -- children, the elderly, and the young.

Among the victims, 32 were rushed to the national burn institute, with burns covering 50 to 90 percent of their bodies.

Victims included garment factory and textile scrap warehouse workers, autorickshaw drivers, and their children.

None of the 18 other victims undergoing treatment at the burn institute is in good condition, said Partha Shankar Pal, resident doctor of the burn institute.