6 of a family burnt in Bhashantek gas cylinder blast
Six members of a family - including a woman, an elderly and two minor children - sustained burn injuries as a gas cylinder exploded early today in the city's Bhashantek.
The incident took place around 4am on Friday (12 April) in a two-storey house situated on Calvert Road in Bhashantek's Notun Bazar area.
The victims were identified as Md Liton, 48, his wife Surjo Banu, 30, and their three children - Liza, 18, Lamia, 7, Sujan, 8, and Surjo Banu's mother Mehrunnesa, 80.
According to their neighbour Moina Begum, furniture business owner Liton, from Mymensingh, used to reside on the ground floor of the house located on Calvert Road with his family.
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"This morning, while all the family members were asleep, an explosion occurred immediately after Liton struck a match to ignite a mosquito coil. They were using LPG-gas cylinder for cooking. We assume gas had accumulated in the house due to leakage from the cylinder, which may have come in contact with the fire and caused the explosion," she told The Business Standard.
The injured were rushed to Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute after being rescued by the fire service.
Tariqul Islam, a resident doctor at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said Surjo Banu sustained 82% burn injuries, while Liton sustained 67%. Among others, seven-year-old Lamia sustained 55% burn injuries, eight-year-old Sujan 43%, Liza 30% and 47%.
All of them are in critical condition, the doctor noted.
