6 people burnt during gas line repairs in Dhaka’s Jurain

Two of the victims are in critical condition, doctors say

Six people have been injured during an attempt to repair a leaking gas line in the Jurain area of Dhaka’s Kadamtali Thana.

The incident occurred around 2:30 am on Saturday, according to Sub Inspector Abul Kalam Azad of Kadamtali Police Station.

Five of the victims – Khalilur Rahman, 45, Siraj, 20, Mohammad Jumman, 19, Azizul Haque, 65, and Abdur Rahman, 60, - have been admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute for treatment. The sixth victim, 50-year-old Jihad, was released after receiving first aid.

The workers had dug out the gas line on the road behind the Jurain Graveyard to fix a leak, according to Engineer Shabiul Alam of the Titas Emergency Gas Control Branch (South).

“As they were digging, they accidentally dug through to the nearby sewage line and the water seeped in. They then arranged electric lights and were removing the water through a motor pump when there was a spark that caused a fire,” he said.

Khalil and Sirajul Islam were in the hole with the pump when the fire started, while the others were nearby. After the accident, they were taken to the Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute.

Khalil has burns on 30 percent of his body, while Sirajul Islam has them on 25 percent of his body, according to ASM Ayub Hossain, a resident surgeon at the institute. Both are in critical condition.

Though the others are not in critical condition, they are being monitored, the doctor said.

Five of the injured are Titas Gas contractors, while the sixth is a local resident, according to SI Azad.