Death Toll From Gazipur Cylinder Blast Rises To Two

One more victim of the fire ignited by a gas cylinder explosion in Gazipur's Kaliakair has succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to two. The victim, identified as 45-year-old Monsoor, succumbed to his wounds at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 8:30am on Saturday.

"His body was fully burnt. His respiratory tract was also damaged," said Mridul Sarkar, resident doctor at the institute's emergency department.

On Mar 13, a fire erupted after a cylinder explosion in the Mouchak Tilerchala neighbourhood of Kaliakair.

Witnesses and victims recounted that a family left a kitchen cylinder, wrapped in wet cloth, in an alley after gas started leaking from it. The cylinder was emitting gas with a hissing sound, drawing the attention of curious passersby, including women and children.

The street was also crowded at the time as garment factory workers and others were returning home for Iftar just before sunset.

But the situation took a dire turn when someone lit a stove in a nearby house, sparking a blaze that injured dozens. As many as 32 people were subsequently rushed to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The majority of the victims are in critical condition, according to doctors. Half of them suffered burns on over 50 percent of their bodies.

On Friday, 45-year-old Solaiman Molla died during treatment at the institute's intensive care unit. He suffered burns on 95 percent of his body. Only one of the survivors has been released from the hospital so far.