Another man succumbs to burn injuries from Cox’s Bazar LPG fire

Another man who sustained severe burn injuries in a fire incident at an LPG gas pump in Cox's Bazar's Kolatoli area died today (3 March).

Abdur Rahim, who had suffered 50% burn injuries in the blaze, died in the early hours today while undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, his elder brother Salim Ullah confirmed.

Rahim was the son of the late Mohammad Zakaria of the Kolatoli area.

Mohammad Shamiuddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station, said two people have died in the incident so far.

Meanwhile, a case has been filed against the owner of the pump, Nurul Alam, also known as N Alam, in connection with the fire.

The case was lodged on Sunday night with the Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station by SM Sakhawat Hossain, assistant explosives inspector of Chattogram under the Department of Explosives.

According to the case statement, inspections following the incident found that the pump owner did not obtain the required no-objection certificate from the district administration, environmental clearance from the Department of Environment, approval from the Fire Service, or a licence from the Department of Explosives, all mandatory under the Explosives Act.

Authorities said the absence of these approvals constitutes an offence under the law.

The fire reportedly started after gas leaked from a tank at the pump late on 25 February, leaving nine people injured.

Employees initially tried to douse the flames by spraying sand and water. However, a loud explosion followed, triggering another blaze. The fire spread to nearby houses and establishments, burning down around 30 vehicles and four houses, along with other infrastructure.

Abu Taher, 42, a man who sustained severe burn injuries in the incident died on 1 March while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).