Five burnt in gas explosions

Five people were burnt in gas explosions of two separate incidents in the capital and Narayanganj yesterday.

Two youths were injured as fire broke out when they attempted to light a leaky gas stove in the capital's East Rampura around 3:30am, said Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station.

The injured are Rakib Hossain, 22, a first-year student of marketing at Habibullah Bahar College, who was trying to light the stove. His cousin Sarwar Sajib, 26, was in the room with Rakib, said sources at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Rakib sustained 25 percent burns while Sajib 10 percent burns, they added.

In another incident, three of a family were critically burnt in Pagla of Narayanganj.

As there was low pressure of gas on her stove at night, Afinur Begum, 40, wife of Sukkur Miah, left the gas valve open before she went to sleep, said our Narayanganj correspondent, quoting Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Model Police Station.

Gas seeping out of the stove exploded when Afinur attempted to light the stove in the morning, he added.

The fire soon spread through the flat, leaving Afinur and her two sons Shakil, 12, and Shamim, 8, with critical burn injuries.

Neighbours rescued the three and took them to the DMCH.