Couple burnt to death in their home

A couple was burned to death in Dhaka's Bhatara early yesterday, as their house caught on fire due to a leaky gas cylinder.

The deceased -- Abdul Majid Sikder, 65, and his wife Taslima Akter, 47 -- lived alone in a flat on the second-floor of a six-storey building.

Rakibul Hasan, duty-officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire originated from a leaking gas cylinder. Two firefighting units rushed there, but neighbours had already doused the fire.

Shahidul Islam, owner of a nearby house, said he saw a blaze in the kitchen from his home around 5:30am and rushed there with several others to rescue the people.

"We broke open the door and saw the clothes of the two were still burning while they were on the kitchen floor unconscious. We immediately doused the fire," he told The Daily Star.

Shahidul said they found no gas left in the cylinder even though it was undamaged.

Bhatara police recovered the bodies and sent them to the morgue of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College for autopsy.

Morgue sources said the bodies have deep burns.

Deceased Majid's two sons live in Italy with their families. One of the sons was scheduled to arrive on February 12, said Imran, Majid's nephew.