At least 11 people, including four children, were burned in a gas cylinder explosion while cooking pithas in Ashulia, Savar.
The incident occurred around 9:30 PM on Friday (February 14) at the house of Amjad Bepari in Gomail area of Ashulia.
The victims include Surya Banu (55), Zahura Begum (70), Md Monir Hossain (43), Sohel (38), Suman Mia (30), Shiuli Akter (25), Sharmin (25), Chamim Mahmood (15), Mahadi (7), Soayed (4), and Suraha (3).
According to eyewitnesses, Suman, who lived on the second floor of a two-story house with his two children, was cooking pithas for Shab-e-Barat when the gas cylinder exploded. Sohel, Suman's brother, had come to visit with his family. Sohel usually rented another place but would stay alternately with Suman or with his own family. On that night, they were all at Suman's home.
Sohail Rana, one of the victims, stated, "We had all gathered at my brother Suman's house to celebrate Shab-e-Barat. While we were making pithas, the gas cylinder suddenly exploded, and the house caught fire immediately. Everyone in the family, including children and women, was burned."
The burn victims were immediately taken to the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. According to the duty manager at the Women and Children’s Hospital, 11 burn victims, including women and children, were brought to the hospital around 10:30 PM before being transferred to the burn unit in Dhaka Medical.
