Bangladeshi child dies as building collapses in gas explosion in France, 7 injured

Nahil, a three-year-old Bangladeshi child, has died after part of a house collapsed in an explosion in the town of Aulnay-sous-Bois on the outskirts of Paris in France. Seven others were injured in the incident, two of them critically.

The explosion occurred at a pavilion house on Rue Paul-Verlaine in Aulnay-sous-Bois of the Seine-Saint-Denis department around 9:30pm on Saturday local time. Part of the house collapsed in the blast.

Citing local authorities, French media outlets Le Monde and Le Parisien reported that the explosion is initially believed to have been caused by a gas leak. An investigation has been launched under the Bobigny prosecutor’s office.

The deceased child Nahil is the son of France-based Russell Ahmed, a resident of Katkhal village under Pukra union of Baniachang upazila in Habiganj.

The house was extensively damaged in the explosion. Specially trained teams of the French fire service and rescue dogs worked to rescue those trapped under the debris. According to local administration, about 110 firefighters took part in the rescue operation.

Sophie Karumi, mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, said in a message on social media early morning on Sunday that the rescuers worked for hours to prevent the situation from becoming more severe and to rescue people from the debris.

The local administration has arranged temporary shelter for the families affected by the explosion. Rooms of a municipal building and a dressing room of a stadium have been kept ready for them to stay.

The news of Nahil’s death has also reached his ancestral home in Katkhal of Baniachang in Habiganj, Bangladesh. A shadow of grief has descended among relatives and local residents over the incident.