At least nineteen persons, including a minor boy, have died following sustaining severe burn injuries in air conditioner blasts during prayers at a mosque in Narayanganj on Friday night.
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in capital Dhaka, confirmed the matter Saturday.
He said all of the injured died at the institute while undergoing treatment.
He said nineteen victims are still undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The deceased were primarily identified as Delwar Hossain, 45, muezzin of the mosque, and his son Junayed, 16, Jewel, 7, Mainuddin, 12, Ibrahim Biswas, 43, Mostofa Kamal, 34, Md Rifat, 18, Md Rashed, 30, Nayan, 27, Kanchan Hawlader, 50,Joynal, 38, Md Jamal Abedin, 40, Sabbir, 21, and his younger brother Jubayer, 18, HumayunKabir, 72, Kuddus Bepari, 72, Rasel, 34, Nizam, 40 and Bahar Uddin, 55 .The twelve bodies were handed over to relatives, he further said.
Earlier, at least thirty seven people were injured in the blast that took place around 9pm on Friday at the Baitus Salah Jame Mosque located in West Tolla area of Narayanganj Sadar Upazila.
Eyewitnesses said that they found five to six people coming out of the mosque as soon as the blast occurred. Devotees, most of them severely burnt, were found lying on the floor.
Locals rushed most of the victims to the Victoria Hospital in Narayanganj at first and later they were shifted to the burn institute.
Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defense Deputy Assistant Director, Abdullah Al Arefin said, “ It seems all six air conditioners on the ground floor of the mosque exploded.”
He further said, “A pipeline of Titas Gas passes beneath the mosque. We are suspecting gas had leaked from the pipeline and accumulated inside as the windows were closed.”
According to him, the explosion was probably triggered due to sparks when someone tried to switch the ACs or fans on or off.
Abu Talha, who lives in the same neighbourhood, told local journalists that the mosque committee had recently filed a complaint over leakage of the gas pipeline.
According to the eyewitness, the blast took place when the Isha prayers were about to end.
Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defense and police started investigation into the blast.Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited also formed another probe body to look into the incident.
Ali Mohd Al-Mamun, managing director of the company, confirmed it.
Narayanganj district administration formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the incident.
Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Jasim Uddin said that a five-member investigation committee was formed by summoning Additional District Magistrate Khadija Tahera Bobby.
They will submit the report within five working days.
Other members of the committee are Deputy Assistant Director of Narayanganj Fire Brigade Abdullah Al Arefin, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime), Executive Engineer (East) of DPDC Golam Morshed and Narayanganj Zone Manager of Titas Gas Distribution Company Limited, Mofizul Islam.
Narayanganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Md ZayedulAlam on Saturday visited the victims at the burn institute. He said stern action will be taken if evidence of negligence against anyone was found in the inquiry.
He said that the bodies will be handed over to the families without any autopsy if they want.
Meanwhile, family members and relatives of the victims gathered outside the burn institute . They are still waiting anxiously to know the condition of their beloved ones.
They were seen waiting restlessly outside the hospital.
The anxious family members and friends of the injured were seen desperately asking anybody who came out of the hospital about the patients. They wanted to know if their relatives were still alive or had died already.
Enamul Haque, who lives beside the mosque, said, “ My brother-in-law, Mizanur Rahman was among the injured. He was being treated at the institute.”
He said, “We learned that my brother-in-law is alive. But we don't know his latest condition till now.”
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, said that most of the patients came to the hospital with deep and critical burn wounds. Almost all of the victims have inhalation burns, he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called him on Saturday morning. She expressed her concern for the injured, he further said, She has also directed us to ensure overall care for them, he continued.
