Explosion
N’ganj warehouse blast leaves one dead, 9 wounded
A 40-year old man was killed and 9 people were injured in an explosion that triggered a fire at a warehouse in Narayanganj’s Nitaiganj Saturday morning.
Awlad Hossain succumbed to his injuries at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in the capital, Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj Sadar police station, confirmed.
The rest burned injured are undergoing treatment there, he said.
Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire broke out in the two-story building around 9 am following an explosion.
A portion of the building collapsed after the explosion, he said.
On information, six firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control around one and an half hours after the incident.
However, what caused the explosion and the subsequent fire could not be known immediately, he said.
Read more: 2 injured as fire breaks out in Narayanganj building following explosion
Fakhruddin, an assistant deputy director of Narayanganj fire service, said the building was declared risky as it may collapse any time.
Abdul Kadir, president of Nitaiganj Multilateral Cooperative Society, said former president of the district’s flour mills owners’ association Illias Dewan is the owner of the building which was used as warehouse of pulse, rice, salt and other products.
The first floor of around 100-year-old building was declared abandoned around 10 years back, he said.
Golam Mostafa Russell, superintendent of police in the district, said onlookers were removed from the spot after the building was declared risky.
2 injured as fire breaks out in Narayanganj building following explosion
Two people were injured when a building partially collapsed due to an "explosion that triggered a fire" in Nitaiganj of Narayanganj district town today (March 18, 2023).
The injured were taken to a local hospital.
Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said a fire broke out at the two-story building in the area around 9 am following an explosion.
Also read: At least 10 people dead in house fire in Pakistan
A part of the building collapsed after the explosion, he said.
On information, six firefighting units rushed to the spot and are trying to bring the fire under control.
However, what caused the explosion and fire could not be known immediately, he said.
Read More: Gas explosion at residential, commercial buildings: Common causes and ways to prevent them
Gas explosion at residential, commercial buildings: Common causes and ways to prevent them
In recent years, reports of gas explosions in Dhaka city and other places in Bangladesh are worryingly becoming more frequent. Whether it’s a residential building, market, warehouse, or business center, there is a looming threat of gas explosion. Several factors may trigger a gas blast and cause fatal damage to human lives and properties. Let’s take a look at what causes gas explosions and how to minimize the risks.
Common Causes of Gas Explosions in Residential Buildings
A residential building and flats in it face major risk when required safety measures against gas explosions are not taken. There have been many incidents of gas explosions in residential units simply due to carelessness and lack of proper measures. Here are some possible reasons for gas explosions in residential units.
Gas Leaks
One of the prime causes of gas explosions in residential buildings is gas leak. Apartments or houses use gas cylinders or direct gas lines. If there is a leak in the line or the cylinder, it might potentially cause explosions if the home unit doesn’t have good ventilation.
Read More: Fire Safety in Apartments: Causes and Prevention
Faulty Gas Appliances
Gas appliances like cookers, stoves, ovens, or heaters can malfunction and cause gas leakage. If the gas stove or cooker is not properly connected to the gas line, it may leak gas and lead to explosions. In many residential buildings and apartments, people tend to use expired gas cylinders which may cause gas explosions.
Poorly Maintained Gas Equipment
The gas line and the cylinder can also be the source of gas explosion. For example, if the main supply line or the cylinder gets corroded, it might end up leaking gas at different spots. Such leakages may culminate into explosions in contact with fire or sparks.
Air conditioners and refrigerators are equipped with non-supply gas storage or operated systems. Without proper maintenance, these appliances may deteriorate over time and cause fatal consequences.
Improper Installation
Gas units should always be installed under the supervision of a trained professional. Improper installation may lead to gas leaks. It’s better to avoid DIY procedures to avoid gas leaks and subsequent explosions.
Read More: Workplace Fire Safety: 12 Effective Ways to Prevent Fire Hazards
Faulty Connections
In many cases, gas leaks in residential buildings and apartments are caused by faulty connections in the gas pipeline. When the gas, trapped in a closed room or space, comes in contact with flame or spark, it can cause an explosion.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters can also be possible causes of gas explosions. In the event of a natural disaster like cyclone, earthquake, or flood, gas lines or cylinders can leak which might lead to explosions.
Cousins who went out for tea in Gulistan’s Siddique Bazar never returned
Family members are mourning two cousins from the Chandpur district, who left their shop to have tea in Dhaka’s Gulistan area where a deadly blast killed several people on Tuesday (March 07, 2023). Death toll as of now is 20.
Family members and relatives are still mourning the deaths of Al Amin, 23, son of Billal Hossain of Paschim Lalpur village, and Mansur Hossain, 24, son of Mosharraf Hossain of Chengarchar village in Matlab North upazila of Chandpur district. They demanded proper investigation into the explosion.
Kawsar, younger brother of Mansur, said Al Amin, son of his maternal aunt, visited Mansur’s shop located in Gulistan’s Phulbaria Super Market on Tuesday.
After having some conversation, Mansur and Al Amin went out of the shop around 4:15 pm, saying that they would return in 20 minutes after having tea in Siddique Bazar.
Also read: Gulistan blast: Another injured dies at DMCH, death toll now 20
“Those 20 minutes didn’t end and they will not return,” cried Kawsar.
Later, he heard about the explosion and went out looking for them. Failing to find them, he went to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where he found the bodies of Mansur and Al Amin.
Al Amin was a student of a private college in Dhaka.
Md Mohiuddin, officer-in-charge of Matlab North Police Station, said the bodies of the two victims were handed over to their relatives on Wednesday night.
Read More: Gulistan blast: Rescue operation goes into 3rd day
When the mortal remains of the two young men arrived in their respective areas, a pall of gloom descended on the area.
They were buried at their respective family graveyards around 11 pm.
On Tuesday, at least 17 people were killed and over 100 were injured in a massive explosion in a 5-storey building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital’s Gulistan area.
Meanwhile, two bodies were recovered from the debris yesterday.
Read More: Siddique Bazar Blast: DSCC restricts heavy vehicles on Bangshal-Gulistan road
Musa Haider, 45, a victim succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital last night, raising the death toll to 20.
The explosion occurred around 4:50 pm on Tuesday. A sanitary materials shop on the ground floor of the building, BRAC Bank office on one of the other floors and an adjacent 7-storey building were damaged but no building collapsed.
END/UNB/Corr/MAS/KW
Reason behind Gulistan blast to be known after examining samples: Rab director
The cause behind the explosion in the 5-storey Gulistan building will be known after examining the samples collected from the site, said Major Morshed Alam, director of bomb disposal unit of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).
“Primary samples were collected from the blast site and sent to laboratory for test and the actual reason behind the explosion could be known after examining the samples,” he said.
“We entered the damaged building carefully and it appeared that it is not an incident of fire, it’s an explosion. The level of explosion was huge,”Major Morshed said.
There might be multiple reasons including leakage of gas pipeline behind the blast and there is a little possibility of air conditioner blast, he said.
Besides, a dog squad team is working there to check whether there is any existence of human alive or dead inside the building, said Morshed.
Also read: Gulistan blast: Rescue operation begins for the second day
Earlier, at least 17 people were killed and over 100 others injured in a massive explosion in a 5-storey building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital’s Gulistan area.
Among the injured, 11 people have been undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Three firefighting units resumed the rescue operation around 9 am, said Khaleda Yeasmin, duty officer of the Fire Service Control Room, around 11 am.
A four-member probe body headed by Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Operation and maintenance), has been formed to look into the explosion .
The committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days, said Shahjahan Sikder, Deputy Additional Director of Fire service and Civil Defense headquarters media cell.
END/UNB/MJ-MAS/FH
Explosion in Science Lab area a massive accident: Fire Service DG
The explosion in a building at Dhaka’s Science lab area was a massive accident,said Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin on Monday.
“We are primarily suspecting that accumulated gas caused the blast. We are investigating further and looking into other probabilities,” he said while talking to reporters after attending an event at Mirpur DOHS.
He also said that the army's bomb disposal unit found no sign of explosive substances on the spot.
Also Read: Collapsed Science Lab building declared abandoned
At least three people died and more than 50 were injured when Shirin Mansion, a three-storey building, partially collapsed due to an "explosion that triggered a fire" at Dhaka's Science Lab area on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Tushar, Shafikuzzaman, and Abdul Mannan.
Also Read: No use of explosives found in Science Lab building explosion: Army team
A team comprising members of the bomb disposal unit and chemical disaster response team (CDRT) of Bangladesh Army inspected the explosion site Sunday afternoon and carried out tests.
On Sunday afternoon, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities put up a banner declaring the building dangerous and abandoned.
Three injured in CTG gas cylinder explosion
Three workers sustained burn injuries as a gas cylinder exploded in a restaurant at Khulshi in Chattogram city on Monday morning.
The injured were identifies as Md Kashem, 17, Nur Hossain, 20, and Mubinul Haque, 22. All are worker of Fusion Café located near Khulshi Holy Crescent Hospital.
Read more: Death toll from Gulshan fire rises to two
Santosh Kumar Chakma, Offcier-in-Charge of Khulshi Police Station, said the injured were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hosptial.
A fire service team reached the spot to investigate the cause of explosion, he added. However, Fusion Cafe manager Md. Gulzar did not respond to phone calls despite several attempts.
Blast at Dhaka's Moghbazar leaves 4 injured
At least four people were injured in an explosion in Dhaka's Moghbazar area earlier today (January 24, 2023).
The blast occurred at around 9:45 am in front of a medicine store in the Moghbazar Wireless area and the injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Abul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station.
The injured are Saiful Islam, 36; Tareq, 20; Abul Kalam, 25; and Md Shaheen, 30.
Read More: Dhamrai gas cylinder blast death toll rises to four
The reason behind the explosion could not be known yet, added the OC.
"However, we are looking into whether it was a crude bomb or anything else," said Abul Hasan.
The injured are now receiving treatment at the hospital, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police outpost.
Read More: 205 BNP leaders, activists sued over crude bomb blasts in Barishal
“All are out of danger,” he added.
Official: Explosion near Foreign Ministry in Kabul kills 5
An explosion near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital on Wednesday killed five people and wounded several others, a Taliban police spokesman said, the second prominent attack in Kabul so far in 2023.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — has increased its assaults since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of the country’s Shiite minority.
The mid-afternoon explosion was followed by peals of sirens. Taliban security forces prevented journalists from getting close to the site, threatening them with guns and telling them to leave.
Kabul police chief spokesman Khalid Zadran said security teams have been deployed to the site. Later he said that as the result of the explosion, “five of our civilians were killed and a number of others were wounded.”
Read more: Roadside bomb kills 6 people in north Afghanistan: Taliban
Zadran offered no other details on the source of the blast or say how many people were wounded. Taliban government officials did not respond to requests seeking additional comment.
Checkpoints line the fortified route to the ministry, which is on one of the roads leading to the presidential palace. Guards stop and search vehicles and people along the way.
A photograph posted on social media, purportedly of the blast site, shows at least six bodies on the ground.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the explosion, calling it an “act of terrorism, a crime against humanity and an act against all human and Islamic values.” He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the wounded a swift recovery.
In the earlier attack this year in Kabul, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing near a checkpoint at the city’s military airport that killed and wounded several people. There have been no official casualty figures for that attack so far.
Read more: Afghan Taliban kill 8 in raids of IS hideouts in Afghanistan
IS also claimed an assault on a Kabul hotel in mid-December.
Dhamrai gas cylinder blast death toll rises to four
The death toll from the gas cylinder explosion that caused a fire at a house in Dhaka's Dhamrai rose to four as another injured person died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Wednesday morning, police said.
The deceased was identified as Monjurul Islam, 32.
Monjurul, who sustained burn injuries to 33 percent of his body, died at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 8am, said its resident surgeon Dr SM Ayub Hossain.
Earlier, Manjurul's wife Josna Begum, 25, their one-and-half-year-old daughter Mariam and niece Sadiya Akter, 18, succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.
Also Read: Dhamrai fire: Child victim dies at DMCH
Josna's elder sister Hosna Begum, 30, is now undergoing treatment at the hospital with 25 percent burn injuries, Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost, said.
On January 7, a fire broke out following a gas cylinder blast on the second floor of Monjurul's rented house at Kumral village in Dhamrai at around 5.30am when Josna Begum tried to light a gas stove.