Three youths suffer burn injuries in septic tank gas explosion in Dhaka

Three young men sustained severe burn injuries after a gas explosion believed to have originated from a septic tank rocked a residential building in Dhaka's Kathalbagan area late Wednesday night (July 1).

The incident took place around 11:45pm at a house owned by Abul Bashar on Free School Street Box Culvert Road in Kathalbagan.

The injured have been identified as Rana, 22, Jewel, 20 and Parvez, 21, all of whom work at a furniture shop in the city's Panthapath area.

Following the explosion, the victims have been admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Furniture trader Imran Hossain Rajib, who rushed the victims to the hospital, said the explosion occurred on the ground floor of the building after gas accumulated inside or around the septic tank ignited.

According to him, Jewel had taken his friends Rana and Parvez to his residence as his family was away in their village home. Shortly afterwards, a powerful explosion occurred, leaving all three with severe burn injuries. They were rescued and taken to DMCH's Burn Unit around 12:30am, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

Rajib also claimed that the floor of the ground-floor apartment had remained unusually hot for a long time because of the septic tank located directly beneath it.
Although Jewel's family repeatedly informed the landlord about the issue, no effective measures were taken.

He further alleged that a strong smell of gas was frequently noticeable around the building, leading to the suspicion that combustible gas had accumulated inside the room before being ignited by a lit match.

Doctors at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit said Rana sustained burns to 63 percent of his body and has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Jewel suffered 30 percent burns, while Parvez sustained 21 percent burns. The latter two are being kept under close observation.

The exact cause of the explosion is under investigation.