Five female students suffered burn injuries after coming into contact with an electric wire while playing on the roof of a women’s madrasa in Fatullah of Narayanganj on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred at Mahela Khatun Women’s Madrasa in Kashipur Hajipara.
The injured students were identified as Lamia, 12, Asia, 8, Sumaiya, 13, Zikri, 12, and Atia, 12.
Md Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Fatullah Model Police Station, said they received initial treatment at Narayanganj General (Victoria) Hospital before being transferred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.
According to police and Fire Service sources, several students went to the roof of the four-storey madrasa building to play in the evening. They had sugarcane with them to eat.
A 33,000-volt power line runs over the roof. It is suspected that a piece of sugarcane accidentally came into contact with the power line, causing a loud spark and flames that burnt the students.
Madrasa teachers and locals rescued the injured students and took them to Narayanganj General Hospital.
Dr Md Morshed Ul Alam Khan, a physician at the hospital’s emergency department, said the five students were brought to the hospital around 7:30 pm. They were given painkillers, saline and oxygen before being transferred to Dhaka, he said.
He said four of the five students sustained burns to 50 to 60 percent of their bodies, while the fifth student suffered less severe injuries.
The condition of the four students is critical, he added.
Md Abdul Halim, senior station officer of Fatullah BSCIC Fire and Civil Defence, who inspected the scene, said sugarcane stalks with leaves were found on the roof.
He said the preliminary assessment suggested that sparks and fire were triggered when the sugarcane contacted the 33,000-volt power line.
He also said an explosion occurred at a gas riser on the ground floor of the building.
It is initially suspected that the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak triggered by an electrical spark, he said, adding that there was no significant damage to the ground floor.