Four burnt in refrigerator compressor explosion in Narayanganj

Four members of a family were severely burned in a refrigerator compressor explosion in a residential house in Narayanganj.

The incident took place around 6:30am in the Kutubpur Rakibazar area near Shibu Market in Fatullah on Monday morning (May 11).

The injured include auto-rickshaw driver Abdul Kader, 50, and his three sons—Mehedi, 17, a juice vendor; Sakib, 16, a factory worker; and Rakib, 16, a street food seller.

According to family members and neighbours, the explosion took place while Abdul Kader and his sons were asleep inside their rented one-storey house. His wife survived as she was outside the room collecting water at the time of the blast.

Local resident Md. Faruk, who helped rescue the victims, said a loud explosion shook the area early in the morning, prompting neighbours to rush to the house where doors and windows had been blown off. The injured were later pulled from inside and rushed in critical condition to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear. Locals suspect either a gas leak that accumulated inside the room or a malfunction in the refrigerator compressor, though no confirmation has yet been made.

Burn unit resident surgeon Dr. Shawan Bin Rahman said Abdul Kader suffered burns on 57 per cent of his body, Mehedi 18 per cent, Sakib 17 per cent, and Rakib 25 per cent.

He added that Mehedi and Rakib also sustained airway burns, and all four remain in critical condition under intensive care.