Three people were killed and 20 others injured in a gas cylinder explosion while refueling a bus in Lakshmipur on Monday.
The incident occurred at the Green Life Filling Station in the Mukti Ganj area around 2:00 am.
The deceased were identified as Suman Hossain, son of Batumiya from the Char Monsha village in the Bhawaniganj Union; Md. Yusuf Mia, son of Sujamia from the Banchanagar area; and Hridoy Hossain. They were reported to be auto-rickshaw drivers.
Among the injured were Suman Hossain, Md. Roki, Mohammad Fahad Hossain, Siraj Mia, Md. Hridoy, Shanto Khan, and Abdul Malek, among others. Ten of them have been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital due to their critical condition.
Witnesses reported that a Meghna Paribahan bus was at the filling station to refuel when the explosion occurred. Chaos ensued as people rushed to escape, resulting in the immediate deaths of the three auto-rickshaw drivers.
Fire Service units and police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving reports. They recovered the bodies of the deceased and sent them to the morgue at the district hospital.
Ranjit Kumar, the station officer of Lakshmipur Fire Service, stated that upon arrival, they rescued the injured and transported them to the hospital. All three victims died on the spot. He noted that the bus’s cylinder was of substandard quality, which led to the explosion during the refueling process.
Joynal Abedin, a duty doctor at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, confirmed that the three victims died instantly, and there was no opportunity to provide treatment. About 20 people were injured, with some suffering severe injuries, including amputations and burns to various parts of their bodies. Most of the injured have been sent to Dhaka for further treatment.