Eight people sustained burn injuries when a gas cylinder caught fire during repair work at a house in the Kalitola area of Dinajpur town on Saturday afternoon.
Police said Rubina (40) had purchased a new gas cylinder after her old one ran out. When the new one failed to function, she contacted the gas cylinder supplier, who sent technician Riyad (20), sent by the shop owner, arrived to inspect the cylinder.
During the repair, the cylinder suddenly ignited, severely burning both Rubina and Riyad. Hearing their screams, six others – Molab, Amisha, Shahjahan, Shirin, Sazo, and Shojib rushed to help but were also injured by the flames.
All victims were taken to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. However, the hospital lacks a dedicated burn unit.
As such, Badsha, owner of the gas cylinder store, later stated that he had decided to make arrangements for Riyad to be transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment due to the severity of his inuriues.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire and whether the cylinder was faulty or mishandled during the repair.
According to Sub-Inspector Mahbub Alam of Kotwali Police Station, the incident occurred around 3:45pm.
