7 killed as gas cylinder explodes in Ashulia garment factory

Seven people were killed in a fire that broke out following an explosion on a lorry loaded with gas cylinders near a garment factory in Ashulia, Savar, on Sunday evening.

One of the victims, a woman named Zainab Begum, has been identified, while the identities of the other six remain unknown as their bodies were badly burned.

At least 20 people, including factory workers and passersby, were also injured in the incident.

The incident occurred around 6:45pm on Sunday (September 20) beside the boundary of Preeti Group’s FNS garment factory in the Jamgora Chowrasta area.

The fire spread within moments of the explosion, triggering panic in the surrounding area. Several Fire Service units rushed to the scene and began efforts to bring the blaze under control.

Abdus Salam, warehouse inspector at the DEPZ Fire Service, said the lorry caught fire after gas cylinders exploded outside the factory. One body was later recovered from inside the lorry and five others from the surrounding area.

Their identities could not immediately be confirmed.

He said one of the exploded cylinders was propelled into a nearby clothing shop, killing the shopkeeper, Zainab Begum. She ran the shop beside the factory. So far, she is the only one among the seven victims whose identity has been confirmed.

Shahabuddin, senior station officer of the Zirabo Fire Service, said firefighters quickly reached the scene after receiving the information and began fighting the blaze. Two units from the DEPZ Fire Service and six units from Zirabo Modern Fire Service worked for nearly two hours before bringing the fire under control at around 8:45pm.

The injured were taken to the local Women and Children’s Health Hospital and several other nearby hospitals. Harun-or-Rashid, manager of Ashulia Women and Children’s Hospital, said 16 injured people received treatment there. Three of them suffered severe burns to different parts of their bodies and were referred to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Hemayet Uddin, administrative manager of Preeti Group’s FNS factory, said the fire originated from the explosion of gas cylinders on the lorry parked beside the factory’s boundary wall.

“No one was trapped inside the factory as the workers had left the premises at the time of the incident. However, several people who were near the lorry and a covered van were burned to death,” he said.

Witnesses said various metal parts were hurled by the force of the explosion and landed on nearby roads and houses.

The Fire Service said the exact cause of the accident, as well as the extent of the casualties and damage, would be confirmed after an investigation. The injured are receiving treatment at different hospitals, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining victims.