At least nine members of a same family, including women and children, sustained severe burn injuries after a refrigerator compressor exploded due to an electrical short circuit in a tin-roofed house in Siddhirganj early Friday morning.
The incident occurred around 3:30am in a house located in Zakir Khondokar’s tin-shed house in the Pineadi Muri Factory area. The explosion reportedly triggered a fire that engulfed parts of the house. Two fire service units from Kanchpur and EPZ rushed to the scene and managed to bring the fire under control.
The injured are Tahera, 65, Hasan, 37, Salma, 30, Muntaha, 11, Jannat, 4, one-month-old Raiyan, Asma, 35, Tisha, 16, and Arafat, 13.
Initially treated at a local hospital, the victims were later transferred to Dhaka for advanced care. Eight of them have been admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, while Tahera Begum was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. All are reported to be in critical condition.
Mariam, sister of the injured Tahera Begum, stated that her sister had come to visit her daughter’s in-laws three months ago. “Around 3:30am in the morning, there was a loud explosion and the room caught fire. Part of the tin roof also blew off,” she said.
According to local resident Md Mamun, the family had been living in three rented rooms of the house previously managed by the late Abdur Rashid, who served as caretaker. Two of those rooms were fully affected by the fire.
Mamun and fire officials suspect the blaze was caused by a short circuit that led to the refrigerator’s compressor exploding. Senior Station Officer of Adamjee Fire Service, Md Miron Mia, confirmed the probable cause as an electrical short circuit.
However, Shahinur Alam, officer-in-charge of Siddhirganj Police Station, said that the exact cause will be determined after a full investigation.