Cylinder blast: Death toll reaches 7 after 8-yr-old succumbs

An eight-year-old boy who was injured in the gas cylinder blast in Dhaka’s Rupnagar area, succumbed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early today, raising the death toll to seven.

Nihad, 8, son of Soru Mia of Netrakona’s Mohanganj upazila breathed his last at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 1:00am today.

Also read: Six kids killed in cylinder blast

Soon after the cylinder blast, Nihad was admitted to the ICU of DMCH with severe injuries to his eyes, said Inspector Bachchu Mia of DMCH police outpost.

Nihad, a student of class two at a local school, used to live with his parents in Rupnagar and was the youngest among four children.

With Nihad, the total number of deaths in the incident has now risen to seven, confirmed Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rupnagar Police Station.

Meanwhile, Sub-inspector of Rupnagar Police Station Sumon Banik filed a case with the police station against the balloon seller Abu Sayeed, who is also under treatment at DMCH under police custody.

He lost part of his left arm and sustained injuries to his stomach in the incident.

Six children were killed as a gas cylinder used to inflate balloons blasted on road 11 in the Rupnagar around 3:30pm yesterday. At least 20 others were also injured in the incident.