A gas pipeline explosion near a mosque in Bangladesh killed 16 people and injured dozens with critical burns as worshipers were about to finish their prayers, authorities said Saturday.
The explosion, which firefighters suspect was caused by a gas pipeline leak, occurred Friday night at a mosque in the Narayanganj district, outside the capital Dhaka.
Dozens of people were rushed to the Dhaka State Hospital for Burn and Plastic Surgery, most of them with severe burns.
By Saturday afternoon, 16 people, including a seven-year-old boy, had succumbed to his injuries.
Doctors in a burn unit of a state hospital were treating at least 37 people with burns to up to 90 percent of their bodies, said Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the unit.
Firefighters said gas that accumulated in the mosque after the leaks from the pipes likely triggered the explosions.
“We mainly suspect that gas leaked from the gas pipeline and accumulated inside the mosque since the windows were closed. When the air conditioners were turned on, due to the sparks, the gas could have exploded,” said Abdullah Al Arefin, a senior official of the fire service.
Local TV stations reported that due to the impact of the explosion, at least six air conditioners also exploded inside the mosque.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the explosion.
In Bangladesh, safety regulations often make fun of construction. Hundreds of people die each year in fires in the nation of 168 million people.
Bangladeshi media often report faulty gas line installation, while unplanned road excavation work often leads to disasters in the country, which is seeking rapid industrial expansion and economic development.
In February last year, a hell in the old town of Dhaka killed 78 people. A month later, 25 people died when a fire engulfed an office building in the city.
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Bangladesh: fire in office building kills 25 in Dhaka |
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