3 of a family burnt in Ashulia gas cylinder blast

Three members of a family, including a child, sustained severe burn injuries after a gas cylinder exploded due to leakage in Ashulia.

The incident took place this morning (23 February) in Ashulia's Durgapur Chalabazar area.

The injured are Md Jahangir, 32, his wife Beauty Begum, 28, and their 5-year-old daughter, Toha.

Jahangir worked at a pharmaceutical factory, while Beauty Begum was employed at a leather goods manufacturing company.

According to locals, the family lived in a rented ground-floor apartment of a three-storey building owned by Sohag Mondol. The gas cylinder, which was used for cooking in a section of their apartment, leaked and caused the explosion.

Around 6:30am, Jahangir ran out of the house with the burning cylinder, screaming for help. His entire body was on fire. Neighbours quickly extinguished the flames on his body and put out the fire inside the house before rescuing the family.

"Their door was closed. While cooking, the gas leaked and caused the explosion. Jahangir bhai ran outside with the cylinder, his body on fire. We heard the screams and rushed to put out the flames," said Asma Akter, a neighbour.

The injured were first taken to a local hospital and later shifted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

Dr Shaon bin Rahman of the hospital said that Jahangir suffered 92% burns, Beauty 33%, and Toha 80%. Their condition remains critical.