Ten members of a family including a pregnant woman sustained burn injuries after an explosion apparently from gas leak at a house in Uttara’s Kamarpara area early Friday.
The injured were identified as Md Rubel, 30; his pregnant wife Sonia Akter, 25; their daughter Roza, 3; Sonia’s elder sister Ria, 27; Rubel’s cousin Enayet Ali, 32; Enayet’s wife Delera Khatun, 28; their son Junayed, 10; Enayet’s younger brother Habib, 30; his niece Ayesha Khatun, 19; and Abu Kalam Rubel, 35.
All the injured were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, with several reported to be in critical condition.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, resident surgeon of the institute, said Sonia suffered 100 percent burns, while Enayet sustained 45 percent burns. Rubel and Ria suffered 32 percent burns, Roza 18 percent, Delera 14 percent, Junayed 24 percent, Habib 19 percent, Ayesha 12 percent and Abu Kalam Rubel 7 percent burns.
Those with severe burns have been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit while the others have been kept under observation, he added.
Rubel, a motorcycle ride-sharing driver, lives with his family on the second floor of the building.
Enayet, who works in Dubai and recently returned to Bangladesh, had come to visit Rubel with his family from their village.
Sajed Matabbur, a relative of the victims, said residents of the building heard a loud explosion early Friday.
“After hearing the blast, we rushed out and saw that parts of the ground floor and first-floor walls had collapsed. All 10 people inside the flat suffered burn injuries,” he saiid.
The explosion was suspected to have been caused by accumulated gas, he added.