10 Injured in Gas Leak Explosion at Uttara Residence

At least 10 members of a family, including two children and a pregnant woman, sustained burn injuries after a powerful explosion triggered by a gas pipeline leak at a residential building in Uttara, Dhaka.

The incident occurred early Friday at a building in Kamarpara of Sector 10 in Uttara. The injured were rescued and taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for treatment.

The victims were identified as Rubel, 30; his pregnant wife Sonia Akter, 25; their daughter Roza, 3; Sonia’s elder sister Riya, 27; Rubel’s cousin Enayet, 32, a Dubai expatriate; Enayet’s wife Delera, 28; their son Junaid, 10; Enayet’s younger brother Habib, 30; niece Ayesha, 19; and another relative, Rubel, 35.

Sajed Matbar, Enayet’s nephew, said Rubel and his wife Sonia live in the second-floor apartment of the building. Rubel works as a motorcycle ride-sharing driver. Enayet, who lives in Dubai, returned to Bangladesh a few days ago. Their ancestral home is in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur.

He said Enayet had come from the village with his family to visit and was staying at Rubel’s apartment. Sajed lives on the fourth floor of the same building. Early in the morning, a loud explosion suddenly shook the building. Hearing the blast, residents rushed out and found that the walls on the ground floor and the second floor had been damaged. All 10 people inside the apartment suffered burn injuries in the fire. Local residents later rescued them and took them to the hospital.

Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, resident surgeon at the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said 10 burn victims were brought to the hospital after the incident and are currently undergoing treatment. He added that the exact percentage of burns will be determined after their dressing procedures are completed.