The last surviving victim of the devastating gas explosion in Narayanganj’s Fatullah has died at a hospital in Dhaka, completing a heartbreaking tragedy that claimed the lives of all five members of a family, including three children.
The 30-year-old housewife breathed her last at approximately 9am while undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. With her death, all five members of the family have now perished in the tragic incident.
Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident surgeon at the institute, confirmed the death, stating that Salma had sustained burns to 60 percent of her body, including her respiratory tract. She had been admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.
The series of fatalities began on Monday with the death of Salma’s husband, 35-year-old vegetable vendor Abul Kalam. Their four-year-old daughter, Kotha, died on Wednesday. On Thursday, the couple’s 12-year-old son, Munna, passed away in the morning, followed by their seven-year-old daughter, Munni, in the afternoon.
The explosion occurred at approximately 7:00 am on Sunday, 10 May, at a house located in front of the Gram Bangla Tower in the Giridhara area of Fatullah. According to Salma’s younger brother, Md Arman, the accident happened when Abul Kalam was preparing to leave for the wholesale market.
Kalam had reportedly gone to the kitchen to heat leftover curry for breakfast. The explosion was triggered the moment he struck a matchstick to light the gas stove. It is believed that gas had accumulated in the kitchen due to a leak in the line.
A neighbour, Md Hasan, who assisted in the rescue, recalled hearing a sudden loud blast. Upon rushing to the scene, locals found the house engulfed in flames and rescued the victims before transporting them to the burn institute in Dhaka.
Abul Kalam hailed from Balukdie village in the Bauphal police station area of Patuakhali district. Salma Akter was originally from Paschim Khudrakathi village in the Babuganj area of Barisal.
