Five individuals, including three minor children, sustained burn injuries in a fire that erupted as gas was being transferred carelessly cylinder from one cylinder to another in Birganj upazila in the district on Saturday.

The injured have been identified as Jahidul Islam, his wife Shahana Begum, their 13-year-old son Joy, three-year-old daughter Lamia and their neighbour’s five-year-old son Saidur Rahman.

Of the injured, the children have been undergoing treatment with back injuries at M Abdur Rahim Medical College in the upazila after taking first-aid from Upazila Health Complex.

Witnesses said a fire broke out suddenly as Jahidul was transferring gas from a bigger cylinder to a smaller one at his house in Centerpara area around 2pm, leaving the five critically injured.

Read: Two die a week after Sylhet gas cylinder blast

Locals first rushed them to the Upazila Health Complex and later three of them shifted to the medical college for better treatment, they said.

However, it could not be ascertained immediately how much percentage of the burn the injured received.

Meraj Ali, station in-charge of Birganj Fire Service and Civil Defense, said transforming gas from one cylinder to another without experience is high risky and the reason for the accident worked this factor.

Subrata Kumar Sarkar, officer-in-charge Birganj police station, said they heard about the matter and were looking into it.