Couple burned in gas cylinder blast in Dhamrai

A couple were severely burned in an explosion caused by a gas leak in Dhamrai, Dhaka.

The incident occurred around 12:15am on Friday night in a ground-floor room of a rented house owned by Kubbat Hossain, located in the Kumrail area of Dhamrai Municipality.

The victims were identified as Asif (24) and his wife Shanta (21), residents of Mirzapur Upazila in Tangail. Asif works as a rickshaw puller, and Shanta is employed as a factory laborer.

Initial reports suggest that while the house was connected to Titas gas, the couple had been using a gas cylinder. Although the cylinder itself was found to be intact, the gas pipe was found to be burnt, and several nearby rooms were also damaged in the explosion.

According to the Fire Service, police, and locals, the explosion occurred suddenly at around 12:15am, causing a loud blast in the ground-floor room. The explosion set the room on fire, and soon after, the couple severely burned. Residents of the area quickly stepped in to control the fire, and the couple was rescued and subsequently admitted to the National Burn Institute for treatment.

Zahirul Islam, officer of the Dhamrai Fire Service, confirmed that the couple was injured in the explosion and had been transported to the burn unit in Dhaka.

Dhamrai Police Station Sub-Inspector (SI) Shamim, who arrived at the scene, observed significant damage to the houses but did not find the injured couple initially. "The couple hailed from Mirzapur Upazila in Tangail. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, although investigations are ongoing," he said.